The Heart of Man
by SimbaFan
Summary: With the joining of the Outland and Pridelander prides, ruling the Pride Lands has become a much easier task for Ayden and Simba. But the arrival of several poachers and a rogue lioness will send them spiraling on a journey of adventure, loss, and love.
1. A New Life

***Note to those of you who stumbled across this story first: This is the third of a full trilogy that I have written. If you want to, click on my name and read Books 1 and 2 of the Pride Trilogy (_The Pride of Man_ and _A Lion of a Man_) FIRST before reading this one. Kay? ^_^**

**Hey guys! Guess who's back and writing again? I know its been well after the time I expected to have this released, but writing is an art...and you can't rush art! ^_^**

**Actually, the truth is I took an extended break from writing, and it would have been longer...had my parents not done something that, unknown to them, inspired me to pick it right back up;**

**They took me to see The Lion King onstage in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino about 2 weeks ago.**

**OMG...it was SO incredible!!! Word cannot begin to describe the awesome-re-frikin-diculously-tastic-ness of that play!! (And that is my word that I made up about a month ago. I've started getting other people to use it too! ^_^)**

**Well, I know you've waited for this, so I will not deter you any further! Without further ado, I present to you...**

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**The Heart of Man**

**Written by "SimbaFan" a.k.a. Johnny**

**Co-Written by "BookRose" a.k.a. Cathy**

**Beta-Read by "BookRose" and "TonyBoy" a.k.a. Dan and Cathy**

**Chapter 1 – A New Life**

The sun shone brightly through in the gorgeous blue sky above. The green grass moved lazily in waves as the breeze blew through. Herds grazed happily here and there across the landscape. It was another beautiful day in the Pride Lands.

But I was not focused on the beauty of the land. I had lived there for so long, that while its beauty was as grand as it always was, I paid it no mind right now. I was focused on how to use the surrounding environment to my advantage.

The slight breeze moved towards the south, downwind of my target. It allowed me to move forward silently without worrying too much about making noise. Keeping my eyes on my target was growing easier as I moved closer. Slinking as low to the ground as I possibly could, I stealthily progressed towards my prey.

A smile curled my lips as I came within pouncing distance. My prey was slouched over the bank of the stream, silently taking a drink. He was totally unaware of what was about to occur.

A small growl escaped from deep within my chest. The creature's ear perked and turned towards me. Acting quickly, I tensed low on my haunches, and launched myself forward, a roar bursting from my lungs.

Simba ducked in time for me to soar clear over him and dive headfirst into the stream. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't deep enough to dive in, and I was soon nursing a throbbing bump on my head.

"Third time's the charm, eh soggy?" Simba managed to wheeze through sidesplitting laughter.

"Oh shut it," I spluttered as I climbed, soaking wet, out of the stream. "I'm still new to this whole four legs thing."

"Doesn't mean it's not funny!" he laughed.

"Funny?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "You wanna see funny? Well here you go funny boy!"

And with that, I began shaking the water from my fur vigorously, aiming it as best as I could in Simba's direction.

"HEY!" he cried, raising a paw to shield himself from the spray.

About halfway through my drying session, I felt myself suddenly leave the ground as Simba pounced at me. We tumbled through the air together, until we landed on the ground in a roll. Two revolutions later, I threw out my hind legs and met solid ground. With my front paws, I then pushed forward, and succeeded in pinning Simba to the ground. He looked up at me incredulously.

"Nala taught me that," I said through a toothy smile. Slyly, I added, "Bet you'd like to know how we do it."

Rolling his eyes, Simba pushed me off and smiled. "You know, one of these days you guys will be on the receiving end of my vengeance, and boy will you be sorry then."

"Nala said you've always said that, ever since you were cubs." I said, throwing him a friendly dirty look. "We're still waiting for that 'vengeance'."

Growling playfully, Simba swiped at me. I growled back and pounced at him. Like a pair of cubs, we roughhoused for quite some time, enjoying every minute of it. We both may have been middle-aged for our species, but we certainly didn't feel like it.

It was still taking some getting used to, but my new body was feeling more and more natural than it had when I first was blessed with it. Only now did I truly see just how much more honed a lion's senses were than my old human senses. Seeing it through this side made me see how much my old senses truly paled in comparison. As we roughhoused, I couldn't help noticing the differences between my old ways. No longer did I need to exert an excessive amount of energy to keep up with Simba, nor was I exhausting myself after a few minutes while Simba was still ready for more. Now he and I were on a level playing field, and I was gaining the upper paw more often than not.

About an hour later, we returned together to Pride Rock exhausted, but laughing and talking happily. Even the walk back from the stream seemed less draining than it had when I was human. My strength was really incomparable to that which I used to possess. As we ascended the path up, Rafiki, cane in hand, came wandering out of the den.

"Rafiki," Simba said happily. "Glad to see you came."

Rafiki knelt in a respectful bow.

"How's he doing?" I asked seriously as Rafiki stood back up.

"Well…" Rafiki said, turning to face the den. "He's not doing worse. But it's gonna be a long road for him. He has a strong heart though. I tink he's gonna pull through in dee end."

I sighed. Ever since we had discovered that Nuka was alive, it had been a difficult time tending to him. After Kamau has lost control of himself and beat Nuka within an inch of his life, Nuka had slipped into a state of constant sleep. Had he been diagnosed by a human, it would have been called a coma. It had been almost five months since the Great Union, as it had come to be called, and Nuka was still indefinitely unconscious.

What was even more disheartening about the situation was that it seemed that only Kamau, Nala, Kovu, Vitani and I really cared about Nuka. The rest of the Pride was too preoccupied with other issues to give their undivided attention to his needs, which were constant. Feeding an unconscious lion was not an easy task, and if one was doing it by oneself, it was all the more difficult.

The three of us had taken it upon ourselves to switch shifts watching over Nuka. Kamau, his feelings of guilt spurring his desire, spent the most time with him. Nala's and my own shifts were fairly equal. We would always offer to take over for Kamau at times when he appeared exhausted, but he would have none of it.

"It's my fault he's here," he would always say firmly. "It's only right that I be the one to spend the most time caring for him."

I thanked Rafiki, who nodded, and then walked into the den. Simba stayed behind to discuss the going-ons of the kingdom with him. A few lionesses lay napping around the den. I glanced around to see if anybody I knew was here, and sure enough, Tanabi sat silently on the raised rock in the center.

Tanabi was finally passing from adolescence into adulthood. His mane was thicker and it ran down his chest to his stomach. Though he resembled his father, there were certain features to his face that showed hints of Mufasa. I waited for him to see me, but he seemed too focused on something – or someone- else.

Vitani sat some feet away, her back to Tanabi. She was staring into the darker corner where I was headed. She seemed unaware of Tanabi's gaze, which he was probably grateful for.

Vitani was well past adolescence, but she was certainly no old lioness. The same age as her twin brother, Kovu, Vitani was a powerfully built lioness. Now that she had a chance to live a proper life with proper meals and treatment, she had filled out to her physical potential, and it was certainly something that could turn any lion's eye – or both eyes in Tanabi's case. No longer was she thin and bony, but muscular and well rounded. Her fur was no longer matted and dirty, but well kept and silky smooth. The tuft of fur on her head that resembled bangs even looked neater than it had when she lived under Zira's rule. Vitani was quite a beautiful lioness.

I smiled at her as I passed by, and she returned it, but it was short lived. Her gaze returned back to the corner I was heading for, concern lingering in her eyes.

Finally, I reached Nuka, his chest slowly but steadily rising and falling. Kamau stood next to Nuka, looking utterly exhausted as he always did lately.

Quite the opposite of Vitani, Kamau looked almost as bad of a mess as Nuka did. He stood in such a way that he looked very uncomfortable. His eyes remained determinably fixated on his unconscious brother. Never before had I seen such bags under his eyes. Kamau was denying himself any unneeded sleep for sake of keeping a constant watch over what he blamed himself every second for. His fur was far less well-kept than he usually kept it, matting and sticking up in certain places.

"Kamau," I said quietly. "You need your sleep."

As miserable as he looked, Kamau turned and smiled at me, his sagging eyes sparkling their clear blue happiness. It was quite a contradiction to his outer appearance, and I could tell it was slightly forced.

"Not a chance, Ayden," he replied as warmly as he could. "Go on out for a while longer. I'll be fine for a few more hours. Come back then."

Under normal circumstances I would have asked if he was sure, but after the first month of asking him this, Nala and I decided it better just to take his first answer. Kamau always meant what he said the first time he said it.

Smiling, I turned to leave the den. My eyes lingered on Tanabi, who still stared at Vitani intently, before I left.

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-Simba-**

After Rafiki departed when we finished talking, I went to look for Kovu and Kiara. For the last few weeks, I had taken it upon myself to go and teach them the proper ways of looking after this realm. And considering that Kovu's training for ruling a kingdom was instructed by a vengeance-driven lunatic, he needed it.

I wandered through the area surrounding Pride Rock for a while, calling out to them, but to no avail.

Ever since the Great Union, Kovu and Kiara had openly expressed their love for each other. I was reluctant at first simply out of instinctual protection for my daughter. But as their relationship became more and more apparent, I realized that what they had was real, and they truly loved each other.

I was just about to give up searching, when a sound caught my ear. Narrowing my eyes, I turned my ear to the source of the sound.

"Damn it Kiara!" Kovu's voice whispered hurriedly. "Stop shifting! You're gonna-"

"Give away your position?" I finished for him.

Both Kovu and Kiara must have jumped, because the bushes they were hiding in rustled vigorously. I chuckled as they scrambled out together, looking at me sheepishly. Kovu looked pointedly at Kiara briefly before looking back at me.

Kovu was as muscular and fierce-looking as always, but he was still growing. His mane was growing faster now, giving it a bit more of a spiked look while still retaining his upsweep.

Kiara had grown even more than Kovu had within these last five months. She was growing into her shape even better. She was slender and sleek, making it obvious that speed, rather than stealth, was her forte. Her sparkling amber eyes were as beautiful as always, just like her mother's.

"Playing hooky huh guys?" I said, smiling.

"Daddy…we-"

"Don't worry about it Kiara," I replied warmly. "If you guys want to spend time together today, I won't raise a paw to stop you."

"Really?" Kovu asked, looking uncertain.

"Yes. Really, I only needed to tell you guys something. Ayden and I will be leaving for a few days soon, and I was curious to see if you guys and Tanabi would like to run the kingdom in or absence."

Both Kovu's and Kiara's eyes widened.

"Daddy…that's a huge responsibility. I'm not sure we're ready," Kiara said, concern clear in her quiet voice.

"I am fully confident that you three will do just fine." I said boldly. "Besides, Zazu and Nala will still be here watching you guys should something happen."

Kovu stared at me, his mouth slightly agape. Realizing this, he shook his head wildly. He said nothing for a moment, seemingly lost in though. Finally, when he spoke, it was confident yet concerned.

"It would be an honor, Simba."

Kiara looked over at him. There was a flash of uncertainty in her eyes, but it was gone so quickly, I was sure I had imagined it.

"Good," I replied happily. "Ayden and I will let you guys know what's going on with the kingdom when we leave."

"Where are you guys going?" Kovu asked

"Just for a visit," I replied. "To an old friend…"


	2. The River Pride

**Hey guys!**

**Alright, so before you guys read this story, I'd suggest reading this one. Its called "The Last of Simba", and it's by fellow FF author, Shembre. It's a one-shot, so it's not very long at all. I read it about three months ago and I thought the idea was SHEER brilliance. With the author's permission, I was allowed to use his concept from the one-shot in my story. **

**Just click the "Search" button up top of the toolbar and type in/copy and paste in "The Last of Simba". It's the first story in the list. (Stupid FF...not letting me post links...grrrr!)**

**Okeydoke guys, now sit back, relax, and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2 – The River Pride**

**-Ayden-**

"So…are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked Simba.

A few hours ago, Simba came to me and told me to prepare for a journey that would last a few days. My mind still being with Nuka, I wasn't fully paying attention. So when Simba had come to me asking if I was ready to go, I half-heartedly replied "Where?"

Rolling his eyes, Simba told me to say goodbye to the Pride for a few days and follow him.

"We're leaving the Pride Lands for a few days," He stated.

"Yeah, I get that Captain Obvious. _Where_ are we leaving to?" I said sarcastically.

Simba furrowed his brow but smiled. "We're going to visit Malka and the River Pride."

"Who and the what now?" I said stupidly.

Laughing, Simba explained, "Malka is the King of the River Pride. They're about a day away from us, well outside our boundaries. Before you came into our Pride, mother would take Nala and I to visit Malka, his friend and now-mate Tama, and his two best friends, Chumvi and Tojo."

"I see," I said. "And why are we going to visit them? Any special reason?"

"Well…" Simba said thoughtfully, "Dad always taught me that a King needs allies outside his own kingdom. He was friends with Malka's father during his rule, so I figure that's a rule we should reinstate. That, and the last time I saw Malka, I left a bit of a bad impression."

I stared at Simba awkwardly. "How so?"

"The last time I saw Malka was three days after Father died. After he helped me back to health, I had to run away before even saying goodbye."

I stopped and stared at Simba incredulously.

"What?"

Simba stopped and looked around at me.

"Yeah. I wandered somewhere else before the Oasis; before I met Timon and Pumbaa."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" I asked bewilderedly.

"I dunno…I guess it was one of those things I sorta forgot after all the years." He replied sheepishly. "Once I met Timon and Pumbaa, I put my past behind me and never looked back…at least until Nala showed up. It wasn't really a long visit. Just a few days to recuperate and try to come up with a plan. See, he helped me back to health when I came across him. He gave me food and water and shelter for a few days. I still blamed myself for my father's death at the time, and when Zazu showed up…"

"Zazu came?" I interrupted. "And you didn't go back with him? Simba, do you know what you could have prevented if you came back?"

"Ayden!" Simba said, raising his voice. "I blamed myself for my father's death. What do you think I thought would happen if I came back? What Mother would have thought? I couldn't bear the thought of it!"

Simba's outburst caught me off guard. It was rare now whenever Simba's instinct would take over when it came to me. No longer did he see me as a natural threat, since I was a lion, but he still got impulsively angry every now and then if I went too far. And this was one of those times.

"Sorry. I sorta…forgot," I said, feeling ashamed.

"It's alright. You went through a lot too." He said more calmly. "Anyways, Zazu showed up and found me. He tried to convince me to come back, but I wouldn't have it. The thought of Mother, and Nala, and you…what everyone would have thought of me for what happened to Father….it was too much. So when he went to tell Malka's father to force me back, I ran away."

"Wow," I said, wondering why Zazu hadn't told the lionesses or me that Simba had been alive. I made a point to ask him why he'd never mentioned it when we got back home.

Simba continued. "I was thinking about my exile yesterday, and I suddenly remembered Malka and how he'd helped me. It's been years since I saw him, and I figured that now would be a good time to reunite."

"Alrighty then," I said, feeling more informed and slightly guilty for lashing out at Simba. "So how do we get there?"

"We just follow the river southwest for about a day," He replied. "It's nothing but savannah down there. The River Pride borders between the savannah and the desert."

"Gotcha. Does Malka know we're coming?" I asked.

"Of course!" Simba replied. "I sent Zazu to tell him yesterday. He returned this morning. He says Malka's very excited to see me again. And to meet you."

"Me?" I asked incredulously. "Why me?"

"Why you?" It was Simba's turn to look incredulous. "Ayden, who else do you know that's been to Heaven in one form and returned in another? What other human has lived with a Pride of lions and become their King?"

I couldn't help but turn red at this (or at least under my fur I did.)

"I keep forgetting how interesting the animals think I am."

Ever since my transformation, I had been constantly bombarded with questions of what happened to me. At first, nobody believed that I was Ayden, but when every Pride member vouched for me, the realization that I really was myself spread like wildfire through, and beyond the Pride Lands. Soon enough, animals would journey from far beyond the Pride Lands to see me and hear my story. Of course I wouldn't divulge every detail. I always the left out the details of my experience in Heaven simply because I didn't think it was anybody's business except my family's. Basically, all I would tell these travelers was that I was brutally and wrongly murdered by a crazed lioness, and the Kings of the Past saw fit to give me new life because I was still needed on this earth. It was an interesting experience when these travelers would come around, but I was glad that it was rare for them to actually make the trip to see me in person. All in all, I only counted about ten small groups that came to see me within the last five months.

"So yeah," Simba said with a smile. "They're very excited to meet you."

The rest of the day was rather uneventful, other than the fact that the Pride Lands grew further and further behind us with every step we took. The journey was enjoyable as the two of us just talked, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company.

After a brief hunt where we took down a small, hurt zebra, we found a comfortable patch of grass to lie on and we started dozing off as we stared up into the stars.

"So how much longer should it be when we wake up?" I said with a yawn.

"Um…" Simba said sleepily, "We should be there when the sun is near the center of the sky."

"Alright then," I said, and with that, my eyes fell, and I drifted peacefully off into a calm sleep.

* * *

I was standing in the grasslands to the west of Pride Rock. The sun was setting on the horizon, casting the Pride Lands in a blood-orange glow. A slight breeze ran through, making the grass undulate lazily like waves on the ocean. All across the grasslands at strange distances from one another was my entire Pride.

Something didn't feel right.

Suddenly, several dark shadows appeared on the horizon. One was running rapidly on all fours, and the rest were shapeless masses that traveled quickly.

Suddenly, several loud _CRACKS _echoed across the Pride Lands. The creature running from the shapeless masses ran faster, fearing for its life.

The creature the silhouettes were chasing was a lioness that I had never seen before. But before I could get a good look at her, more loud _CRACKS_ echoed out, and several lionesses of my own Pride fell around me. More and more _CRACKS_ and more of my Pride fell dead on their own feet. My heart plummeted into the depths of my stomach as I watched my family fall around me.

Simba fell first, blood rushing from a wound in his neck.

Nala and Kamau next, both with gaping wounds in their faces.

Kiara and Kovu were flung backwards as multiple wounds appeared in their sides.

"NOOO!" I cried out, rushing forward towards the darkness, hatred building in my heart.

Another _CRACK_ rang out, and suddenly my legs gave way from underneath me as I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

My vision grew bleary as darkness enveloped me. Staring up, my eyes were drawn to the sky as the stars began to bloom out of the darkness. Astra de Leo was clearly visible.

I had failed the Kings of the Past. My Pride was dead. I had not saved them as they had intended me to do.

_CRACK!_

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I woke with a start, my heart beating a mile a minute. Gasping, I looked around jerkily, as if to see the shapeless masses spring up out of nowhere.

It was still nighttime. The sky was cloudless, letting the lunar rays cast down upon us unperturbed. Astra de Leo shone brightly, glittering peacefully in the sky. All was calm.

It was only a dream.

I calmed myself down and looked over at Simba, who was sound asleep. The image of him falling wounded flashed again, and I lay down again, covering my head with my paws and scrunching my eyes shut.

"It was only a dream. Only a dream. Pull yourself together…no need to be scared."

And yet there was…the last time I had a dream like that one, it turned out to be a premonition of sorts. It was back when I first came to the Pride Lands. I dreamed about the hyenas engulfing the Pride Lands, and Scar's eye was omnipresent. Shortly after, Scar became the King and allowed the hyenas free reign within the Pride Lands.

"It can't be like that," I told myself. "We've survived worse."

But as I though about the dream more, the echoing _CRACKS_ brought back memories long forgotten from my previous life.

Those were the sounds of gunshots.

My blood ran cold as my mind worked.

There was simply no way that poachers could come to the Pride Lands! Mufasa himself had said that humans had not been seen there for generations! Nobody could remember the last time a human had been seen up until I had shown up.

But why would I dream about something that I hadn't seen or heard in years? Why would I vividly dream about gunshots?

And seeing my Pride die around me…

"The Pride will stay safe if he chooses to go

And the prophecy will be fulfilled

But if he wishes to stay and his answer is no

Then Pride Rock will forever be killed"

The words of the prophecy echoed icily through my mind. Was this what the prophecy meant?

Again, memories of my short time in heaven came swimming back.

"_The prophecy is about you, and so it means what you believe it means."_

Aiheu's words were not comforting.

I shook my head vigorously.

_This is crazy! You're worrying yourself over a little nightmare!_

That thought was slightly comforting, and yet the entire idea that something big was about to happen was still nagging my mind.

_At the very least, don't worry about it right now. When you get back to Pride Rock, keep your eyes open. But don't stress yourself over it now. You need to be in the right state of mind when you meet Malka and the River Pride._

Sighing, I pulled my paws off my face and stared back up at Astra de Leo. They glittered silently, watching down on us.

Smiling slightly, I laid my head back down to fall asleep again. The last thing I remember before succumbing to the veil of slumber was the nagging thought in my mind that I was right. I prayed silently that I was wrong.

* * *

The sun rode high in the sky, and Simba and I were nearing the River Pride. Ahead of us, I could see a large clump of trees and bushes situated on a peninsula that extended halfway into the wide river. A few lionesses wandered through the brush. From this distance, I could tell that they looked just slightly different than our own.

In fact, the River Pride looked wilder than our own. Their faces and bodies seemed more pointed and fuzzy, almost reminiscent of Scar and Zira; except their faces held none of the insanity and hatred that was ever so present in that of Scar and his mate's. When we came within sight of the some of the lionesses, they smiled at us briefly…before laying eyes on me.

I was used to this reaction by now, but it was rather humorous to me when everybody's mouths fell open when they saw me for the first time. White lions really were a rare thing if I merited this sort of reaction just by walking in somewhere.

"I am King Ayden, and this is King Simba," I called to them. They closed their mouths when I spoke, and their smiles resumed, though the look of shock was still clear on their faces.

"We've come to meet with King Malka and Queen Tama," Simba said.

They nodded, still smiling.

"Of course, Kings of the Pride Lands," The lioness on the left replied. "Right this way."

They led us through the brush and trees towards the very tip of the peninsula. As we made our way through, I caught glimpses of the Pride. All of their faces were the same of the ones who were leading us now; wide-eyed and open mouthed in shock. I caught some whispers and giggles from some of the younger lionesses. I looked over and smiled at them, and they sighed dreamily, their eyes fixated on my own. Chuckling to myself, I made a mental note to try and talk with them later.

We rounded a large clump of trees and came across a large mass of boulders embedded deep in the ground. This rocky area was at the very tip of the peninsula and was totally devoid of trees, leaving it an ideal place to lay in the sun.

At the base of these boulders were two lions who were sitting near each other, talking and laughing cheerfully. One was a dark, yet creamy brown color with a dark mane that had the color of burnt wood. It fell into his face and over his kind, brown eyes. Like Kovu, he had a creamy muzzle and underbelly.

The lion sitting next to him was slightly smaller. His pelt was a pale brown with a russet mane that parted at the center of his head. Dazzling blue eyes rested above his muzzle. Oddly enough, there were a few small blue birds floating around him. Several sat perched on his shoulder, but he seemed not to notice.

"I get that antelope is the tastiest of meats," the chocolate colored lion said matter-of-factly. "But I've noticed over the years that gazelle actually is healthier. The lionesses that eat mostly gazelle are much faster than the ones who eat mostly antelope."

"Faster?" the pale brown lion replied with a smirk. "Hmm…well if she can keep up with me, then who knows? She could be the one for me." Then he added slyly, "Of course, it all depends on how fast she-"

"Chumvi! Tojo!" Simba called out happily. The two lions looked up suddenly at Simba, who was now bounding towards them. I sat and watched, chuckling to myself as he collided with the two confused lions. The three of them tumbled and wrestled for a few moments and then they separated, laughing heartily.

"Hey now!" A voice called out behind me. "Who said you could mess around without me?"

I turned to see who was speaking, and my jaw fell open.

The lion standing in front of me had a honey colored pelt with a mane that was relatively short for a lion his age. What had my mouth hanging stupidly from my jaw was the fact that his mane had not one, but two tones; a very creamy light chocolate color and a contrasting charcoal. On his ears were tufts of fur the same charcoal color as parts of his mane. It was an amazing thing to see. Never before had I seen a lion with two tones to his mane. The lion's face mirrored my own when he laid eyes on me, but by now I knew my own pelt was cause for awe.

"Hey Malka," Simba called out, still chuckling, "didn't your mother ever teach you it's rude to stare?"

Malka shook his head a bit and stared over at Simba.

"Is this him?" He asked incredulously.

"No, this is just a zebra. Ayden's coming soon," Simba said slyly. "Yes! Bonehead, of course it's him!"

"And 'him' has a name." I chipped in.

"I'm sorry King Ayden." Malka replied quickly.

"Just Ayden," I interrupted with a smile. "I never got used to all the formalities."

"Right," Malka replied with a sheepish smile. "Sorry Ayden. It's just…I've never seen someone like you before."

"Likewise," I replied. "I've never seen a mane quite like yours before."

Malka smiled widely. "My father always told me that a mane like mine was rare, and that such rarity meant great prosperity for my Pride."

"Looks like he was right," I said, looking around. "You've got quite a setup here."

My eyes flickered briefly to the two lionesses who giggled when I walked by. They gasped gleefully when they caught my glance. Malka looked over and snickered. Simba, Tojo, and Chumvi started laughing hysterically behind me.

"Well if my rarity means prosperity, I can only imagine what yours must mean," Malka replied with a wide grin.

And so followed a day of talking, laughing, and enjoying ourselves. The River Pride was much more laid back and relaxed than our own. Not that we weren't relaxed, but the River Pride seemed so laid back, it could almost be called laziness. Except that lazy was the last word that I could use to describe them. They simply had an air about them that even the most high strung lion couldn't help but feel relaxed.

As I got to know some of the Pride's key members, it was apparent that Malka, Tojo, and Chumvi were best friends. Malka was a lot like Simba; brave, impulsive, yet kindhearted. Chumvi was quite a wise lion almost like Kamau, except Chumvi followed logic more than his heart, but his kindness was unmatched. Tojo, it became clear, was a lady's lion. He was constantly making himself appear as suave and charming as he could. According to Malka, the blue birds that constantly followed him around had taken a liking to him ever since they hatched and they followed him ever since. If you asked Tojo why they followed him, you were likely to get an entirely different story about how they attracted the ladies. But behind Tojo's self-centered egotistical appearance, he really was a kind, caring lion.

As the daytime began to wane, a group of lionesses appeared at the edge of the trees.

It was a difficult task for me to take my eyes off of the group as they sauntered gracefully to us. Ever since my transformation, my feelings about loneliness due to being an isolated species had drastically changed. No longer did I feel like I was doomed to a life of solitude. I was a free bachelor, and I was surrounded with a smorgasbord of gorgeous lionesses. The transformation awakened a fire within me that had me noticing every detail in a lioness's figure that I had never paid attention to before. And I mean _every_ detail.

The group finally reached where the Pride was laying and all but one of them laid down. The last one kept walking towards Malka. She was the same color as Nala and she looked remarkably like her, save for two details. Her eyes were amber, unlike Nala's sparkling blue. And second, this lioness had a fluffy tuft of fur on her head almost like the one that Simba had when he was a cub, but much longer.

Malka stood up just as the lioness came within our midst, and he nuzzled her lovingly.

"Hello Tama," he purred.

"Hello my love," she replied through purrs.

Tama looked up at me. Her reaction was different than those I was used to, but in a good way. Her smile merely broadened and her eyes glistened.

"Goodness." She said mindfully, "I heard what to expect, but words alone couldn't do you justice. It's very nice to meet you Ayden."

Tama's calm reaction was quite a surprise. She came across as very wise and infinitely generous.

"You too Tama." I replied with a grin.

Her eyes moved from mine to Simba's.

"Well hey there stranger." She said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Long time no see."

Simba chuckled. "Yeah. Let's just say I was kinda busy."

"I noticed." She said with a chuckle.

Tama joined in our weaving conversations of our past and our experiences. As the night went on, I found that Tama was one of the most kindhearted lionesses I'd ever met. It was hard for me to picture her hunting, let alone even harming a fly. But if there was one thing that I'd learned from living with lions all these years, it was that looks were deceiving.

The nighttime sky lit up the peninsula as our conversations lasted well into the night. It was a very relaxing and pleasant experience to be staying with the River Pride. It was an experience I certainly wouldn't forget.

…and yet…

Seeing all these new lionesses around me had only stoked the newly awakened fire within me. The feelings of loneliness started awakening again stronger than ever. I knew that somehow, someway, I needed to find a mate. I wasn't sure how much longer I could handle being a bachelor.

As I lay my head on my paws to fall asleep, I wondered if one of those giggling lionesses would be up for a date.

_Since when do lions date?_

I chuckled quietly to myself as I fell into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Fate's Hand

**School's FINALLY started! Which means good things for you guys! See, I have about a 4 hour break between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and class ends at 12pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, which means that I have TONS of time to write (after homework of course...lol)...So let's just say you guys will see more of this story in the near future!**

**Also, just as a side note for those of you who are wondering what my next story will be after this...Anybody a fan of Wicked? If so, you'll be very pleased with my next fic. ^_^ No spoilers now though! Look at my profile page to find out what I've released so far.**

**And now...ENJOY!  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 3 – Fate's Hand**

**-Simba-**

Rekindling my friendship with Malka was a very pleasant and relaxing experience, but alas, all good things must come to an end. The following morning, the sun peaked over the horizon, bathing the lands in a sea of red-orange light. It was time for us to depart.

I yawned loudly, the morning air sweetly filling my nostrils with the smells of dew. Ayden was stretching nearby with a moan.

"Morning," He said sleepily.

"Morning," I replied, blinking my eyes.

I looked around to see if anybody else was up. Apparently Ayden and I were early birds, because not a single lion aside from us was awake. Although Tojo's dreamy mutterings could have proven otherwise. I distinctly heard him say "Hey baby, you wanna play with my birds?" which sent Ayden and I into fits of silent, but uncontrollable laughter.

I stood up and stretched, feeling less sleepy as I did. I wandered towards the river for a drink and Ayden followed.

"So," He said through a yawn, "We're heading off today?"

"Yup," I said, leaning down to lap up the cool clear water.

"Really?" he said, looking confused. "We just came for a visit? There's no official business to take care of with them? No issues or warnings?"

"Nope," I said with a smile as I leaned back up. "Just a visit with old friends."

Ayden raised an eyebrow.

"And…," I added slowly, rolling my eyes, "I wanted to give Tanabi, Kovu and Kiara a chance to try their paw at ruling. I mean they're the next in line, and they'll need all the practice they can get."

"But we didn't have any practice," Ayden said quickly. "We've done just fine."

"But it was rocky at the start," I replied. "I want to make it easier for them. The more practice they get, the better off they'll be."

Ayden stared at me, looking somewhat odd. "Don't you think you're trying a bit too hard? It's not like the second they take over that the Pride Lands will burn and die."

"No," I said defensively, "I don't think I'm trying too hard. These are my children and our replacements. They need all the practice they can get if they're ever going to be able to surpass us as rulers."

Ayden's eyes widened. He was silent for a brief moment, before saying softly, "You put very little faith in them Simba." He sighed and looked at his paws. "I'm not sure why you're so high strung on this, but you need to stop and think about it. I, for one, have nothing but the highest regards for our heirs. I think you should reconsider your faith in them."

He turned and walked a ways towards another bank and knelt down to drink some water. I eyed him for a few moments, feeling completely unsure.

Didn't he understand why I was so desperate? The Pride Lands were delicate, and any poor or quick decision could send them spiraling right back into the wastelands they once were. I couldn't let that happen. Their failures would become mine. And the thought of failing my parents as they watched from the stars above…what they would think of me…

I shuddered at the though. I stared back at Ayden, convinced that he simply did not understand how much this meant to me. Since he would not see reason, I decided I would just drop the subject with him…for now. In time, I would make him see my way and things would be better. I would not back down from this. I would not fail.

Sure in that, I turned to find Malka.

**

* * *

-Ayden-**

I felt Simba's gaze pierce me as I leaned down to drink, but I wasn't going to take the bait. I was done fighting with him for now.

As I lapped up the water, a voice suddenly spoke from above me that made me jump quite violently.

"Well…that was right bloody cheerful."

Whirling around, feeling my fur bristle as I did, I searched quickly for the source of the voice.

"Oi! Back here Snowball!"

I felt a slight pinch of talons on my hindquarters and gave a little growl. Narrowing my eyes, I craned my head to see a small gray bird with a flat head and white belly standing there. About the size of a sparrow, he was a tiny thing. He certainly was a brave or foolish little thing to use those talons on a creature ten times his size.

"Took ya long enough," he said in a British accent much like Zazu's, only much thicker.

"And you would be?" I asked, slightly irritated at his mockery.

"Alvar, at your service Snowball," he extended a wing and bowed to me. I smiled. At least he was respectful. "I'm the head scout of the Pygmy Falcon Scouts, I am. Been doing it since I was a wee chick. My keen eyes can spot danger from miles away. Keenest eyes you'll find for ages, I'd wager. These eyes, ya see, landed me a job as the watcher for the River Pride. I just returned from my nightly rounds."

"It's nice to meet you Alvar," I said with a smile. He hopped up the length of my body and sat on my shoulder. He gave a shrill _TWEET_ that seemed too loud to come from someone so small. At once, five more Pygmy Falcons flew in out of nowhere and landed in front of me, all bowing the same way Alvar did.

"This here is my special team," Alvar said from my shoulder. "Fastest falcons you'll ever meet. If you ever need to send them somewhere or if ya need to deliver a message, just call out 'pygmies!', and one of us will be there in an instant. We fly around for miles, so you can bet one of us will see or hear ya."

"I'll have to remember that," I said, thinking how useful it would be to send a message over a few miles without having to leave home.

"Alright, chop chop fellas, we met 'im! Back to work now! Off with ya!" He shouted at the falcons. They bowed to me once more and all took off. I tried to watch one in particular, but Alvar's words could not have been truer. The moment they were able to take full flight, the pygmy falcons took off at such a speed that even my keen eyes could not spot them after a few seconds.

"Well Snowball, I'm off to report to King Malka," he said quickly. "It's a pleasure to be of service to ya lions! Y'all treat us so well! Catch ya later!"

"See ya," I said as he burst into flight from my shoulder. Again, I only was able to keep my eye on him for a few seconds before he took full flight.

About an hour later, once the River Pride had all awaken, we all exchanged goodbyes, and Simba and I were on our way. It was a fairly quick goodbye, seeing that Malka and his friends needed to start off with their business for the day.

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough." Malka said to Simba happily.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Simba replied with a smile.

Once Simba and I were off, the sun had fully risen and was making its ascent into the sky.

For a while, we walked in silence. I kept glancing over at him, unsure if he was still irritated with me. I really wasn't sure why he would have been in the first place. It troubled me, and even more, it worried me that he placed so little faith in his own children. I knew perfectly well that they were more than capable of running the kingdom, and I was proud to call them our successors. Why Simba did not feel the same about his own flesh and blood was far beyond me.

Finally, after about an hour of walking in silence, I spoke up, feeling awkward as I did.

"So…"

Simba looked at me rather quickly, which silenced me for a brief moment. He didn't look angry or irritated, but I was uncertain if he was just masking it or not. When I found my voice, I said, "Glad to be going home?"

He smiled a little. "Yeah. It was nice to meet up with Malka again, but I'm a bit homesick."

"No doubt," I said in agreement. Two days away from home may not have been a long time, but it was long enough for me to start to feel the longing pangs for my own stretch of bare rock that I slept on back at Pride Rock. I longed to lay lazily in the sun by my stream, slowly lulled into a nice nap by the gently flowing water. I wanted to see all my friends and family again. I simply wanted the comfort of being home.

Even more, I wanted to see Nuka again. Simba's and my journey had pushed Nuka into the corner of my mind, but now that we were heading back into our own lives again, his condition took full control of my mind.

_There just has to be a way to make him come back! There just has to be! Its been almost five months since the Union, and Nuka is already unhealthy enough as it is. He needs to wake up soon…I'm not sure how much longer he'll survive…_

I turned to Simba, wanting desperately to voice these thoughts to him. But Simba never really seemed care about Nuka. Anytime I brought him up, Simba would always respond, but he always looked like it really wasn't any concern of his. When I had confronted him about it once, he hastily replied, "I don't know him. That's all."

I was unsure if this was the real reason for his seemingly careless attitude, but it was all I knew.

Instead, I went for the risky question, slightly fearful of his reaction. "So how do you think Kiara, Tanabi, and Kovu are doing with their first shot as rulers?"

"We'll find out when we get there," he replied with a smile.

"I'm sure they've done fine. Nala and Kamau are still there to help them," I said.

As the day progressed into night, our discussions became less and less awkward and more like our normal conversations. The stars began to twinkle in the sky when we came across a stray antelope. After taking it down and having our fill, we lay sleepily under the stars, ready for a good night's rest.

_By this time tomorrow, we'll be home._ I thought contentedly to myself.

It suddenly occurred to me that Simba did not know of Alvar's and my meeting this morning, or of his useful offer.

"I met somebody new back at the River Pride," I said into the sleepy silence.

"One of those lionesses that swooned all over you?" Simba asked with a chuckle.

With a mental smack on the forehead at forgetting to talk to them, I replied, "No. I met a bird. A pygmy falcon."

"Really?" Simba asked, sitting up. "I've never seen one. Zazu's told me about them though. They're supposed to be incredibly fast."

"They were," I replied. "The leader introduced himself to me. Alvar. He seemed nice. He said if we ever needed help or if we needed to deliver a message somewhere, just call out 'pygmies', and one of them will be there to help us."

"That might be useful," Simba said thoughtfully.

"Very," I said, laying my head on my paws.

And without another word, we both fell into our silent dreams.

* * *

The next morning came quickly. I had awoken in the middle of the night once after having the same nightmare as before. It still troubled me, but having seen it before, it was a bit easier for me to brush it off. Though my thoughts sill lingered on it as Simba and I journeyed.

In the dream, I tried to get a better look at the lioness that was being chased by the shapeless darkness, but the only thing I could tell about her was that she was very well built and incredibly fast. Other than that, her identity remained a mystery.

Simba and I journeyed on. As we crossed the small patch of desert that separated the Pride Lands from the surrounding lands, the sun began to beat down mercilessly, making me swelter under my fur.

"One thing I'll miss about my humanity," I said, feeling sweat trickle down my muzzle, "Is being able to remove my clothes if I got hot. How do you guys stand the heat?"

"Not very well," Simba replied, his tongue hanging out as he laughed.

"Har har," I said, rolling my eyes.

Glancing around as we continued, I saw that several black silhouettes were gliding in a circle in the sky, getting lower and lower.

"Buzzards." Simba said as he spotted them.

"Looks like they found some food," I pointed out.

Suddenly, several gray blurs shot by towards the spot the buzzards were circling over. My muscles tensed and my fur stood on end as my eyes fell on the three rogue hyenas that darted through.

Having nothing to do with the surrounding temperature, my blood boiled within me as the hatred rose from the dark corners of my heart. Hyenas were the most selfish and bloodthirsty killers I ever had the displeasure to come into contact with, and seeing them did not bring back fuzzy, happy memories.

And it was only now that I noticed that that hatred was propelling me forward, moving my legs on their own accord, to destroy these brutal creatures that brought nothing but death with them. I did nothing to stop it. I let the hate for the hyenas send me forward even faster. I heard something keeping up with me, telling me that Simba was close behind.

As we gained on the beasts, I was able to see what the buzzards were circling over. At first, it was nothing but a mere shapeless mass, but as we drew closer, it became more defined and clear.

It was a lioness, who lay in the blazing sun. Whether she was unconscious or dead, I could not tell. But the fact that a fellow lion was about to be desecrated by the horrid monsters was far more than I could handle. With a flying leap, I pounced towards the hyenas, an earsplitting roar bursting from my lungs. I soared clear over the two hyenas that were taking the rear of the pack and landed, claws extended, on top of the leader. The hyena let out a loud cry as my full body weight fell on it.

The savage ripping of my claws from its flesh was satisfying as the blood began to pool around. Another loud cry and a _THUMP_ behind me told me that Simba had landed on one of the other Hyenas.

A moment later, the hyena below me stopped whimpering and lay quite still. I stood up panting, the hyena's blood dripping from my claws and muzzle. Behind me, Simba was doing the same. In the distance, I could see the third hyena sprinting away, clearly fearing for its life.

"Filthy creatures," I growled. Simba nodded in concurrence. I turned, catching my breath and calming myself, to see the lioness that lay sprawled on the ground. Moving closer, I was able to get a better look at her.

Her chest rose and fell very softly. She was alive, simply unconscious.

She was powerfully built, but very slim and slender. Clearly, she was a fast runner. Her chestnut pelt was a marvelous color that I had yet seen on any lioness. There was a very slight tuft of fur on her head, very much like that of Simba when he was a cub. There was a strange scent coming from her that was so familiar, yet I could not place where I had smelled it before. Her fur was matted and dirty, as if she had been journeying for a long time. Other than that though, she was quite beautiful. In fact, she was one of the most beautiful lionesses I had ever seen. As I stared at her, I had the strangest feeling that I had seen her before. But as I scrutinized her face, no name or recollection of a lioness like her came to me. But I could have sworn that I knew her from somewhere.

Simba came closer. "Is she alright?"

"I think so," I said, leaning down and pressing one of my ears to her chest to listen to the pace of her breathing. "She's just unconscious."

Simba stared at her for a moment. Then he looked at me. "We can't just leave her here."

I nodded. "Let's take her with us. It's only another few hours to Pride Rock. I'll bet we can carry her easily. We'll just take turns."

I leaned down and gently pushed my head between her chest and the ground. With a gentle heave, I lifted her up. Then with a quick rear of my head, I threw her up lightly and she landed on my back, where she lay parallel to myself.

"Let's go," I said, and we set off to the Pride Lands.

* * *

Pride Rock stood majestically in front of us, mere minutes away. Home was finally upon us, but my thoughts were with the beautiful lioness laying unconscious on my back.

Obviously she had been traveling for a long time, but she had not been able to take care of herself very well. Judging from how light she felt, I was sure that she had not eaten for quite some time. Mainly, I wanted to know her name, but more importantly, I wanted to know where she came from and why she left. Never before had I seen a lone lioness that was this malnourished and unknowledgeable about surviving.

We finally came to the base of Pride Rock, and suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, we were surrounded by the entire Pride.

"They're back!"

"How was the trip?"

"Is Malka as gorgeous as they say he is?"

"Does Tojo still have those ridiculous birds following him around?"

"Who is _that?_"

"Yes, we're back!" Simba called out over the constant barrage of questions, "We'll tell you about it soon, but right now we've got an injured lioness that we need to help."

The crowd around us hushed. Every eye was drawn to me and the lioness on my back. One of the lionesses named Messina, who had joined our Pride from the Outlands, spoke out against the silence.

"She smells of humans," she said in a hushed tone.

_That's it!_ I thought to myself. _That's why I recognized the scent!_

"Your point being?" I said, and Messina momentarily seemed lost for words.

"Well, Mufasa always told us to be wary of humans."

"Were you wary of me?" I retorted quietly.

Silently, she shook her head. Kalei, another lioness, spoke for Messina. "Yes, but we shouldn't just let our guard down! We should be wary of her until we know her better."

"I agree with you Kalei, "I said, "But she is currently in no state to even tell us who she is, let alone if she can prove her trustworthiness. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to remedy that as soon as possible."

I turned and walked towards the path that led up to the den. The lionesses in front of me moved out of the way so I could go forward. Simba stayed behind to talk to the lionesses about the trip.

Once in the den, I gently let her slide off my back and onto the ground. Kamau looked over from the other side of the cave from his usual spot next to Nuka, who was breathing better than the last time I saw him.

"Hey Ayden," Kamau said happily, but sleepily. "Who's that?"

"No idea." I replied. "We found her unconscious about to be eaten by hyenas out in the desert."

"Yikes." He replied. "Good thing you found her when you did."

"Yeah," I said halfheartedly as I stared at the lioness, marveling in her beauty. "Good thing."

I moved her head with my paw, uncertain of how to make her wake up. Only one thing came to mind.

"Zazu!" I called out.

The hornbill came soaring into the den and landed at my paws, giving a small bow.

"Yes sire?"

"Find an empty gourd and fill it with water, and bring it here please."

"Of course sire," he replied with another bow, and he was off.

I looked down at the lioness one more time, feeling so sure that I knew her from somewhere.

Her beauty was even more striking now that I could look at her more intently. That fire inside me began to flare up.

I turned away before losing myself to those thoughts and walked over to Kamau and Nuka.

"How's he doing?" I asked.

"He's getting a bit better," Kamau said, exhausted. "His breathing has sped up a bit and he's taking in a bit more food. With luck, he's starting to come back to us."

My heart felt lighter at these words, and I smiled brightly.

"I'm glad."

Zazu soared back into the den a bit lopsidedly, due to the gourd he was carrying in his feet. He landed awkwardly, but stood his ground, making sure to keep the water in the gourd. I walked over to him as he pushed the gourd over to the lioness.

"Thank you very much Zazu."

"My pleasure," he replied, breathing a bit faster than normal.

I picked up the gourd of water in my jaw and gently turned it to one side so the water trickled down onto the lioness's face.

The reaction was instant, but a bit slow. She stirred, blinking her eyes, which I noticed were a dazzling green. Her tongue lazily poked from her mouth and licked the water from whatever part of her face she could mange to reach. Blinking wearily, she stared around. Then she spoke.

"C-Claire?" she said feebly.

"There's no Claire here, but you're safe now," I said kindly as she attempted to stand up.

"Where am I?" she asked, failing to get to her feet.

"Easy now," I said rushing to help her. "You need to stay down for a bit. We found you passed out in the desert and saved you from three hyenas."

"W-wha-what?" She said, seeming unsure.

I sighed. She was too weak and groggy to make sense of anything right now. I settled for something simple.

"What is your name?"

She looked up at me briefly, staring into my eyes. Her eyes were deep, sorrowful, knowing, yet kind. Then, she looked back down at her paws and whispered, "Leona."


	4. First Impressions

**Hey Guys!**

**So bad news...due to some riduculous copyright laws regarding my Lion King videos on my YouTube account, AydenMichaelSumpter is now permanently suspended from Youtube along with my SimbaFan08 account as well. YARGH! STUPID COPYRIGHT LAWS!**

***Deep breaths...deep breaths...*  
**

**Fret not though! I'll simply keep my authors notes to this form, and as for the fanart I can present..well, I'll just have to open a DeviantArt account and show them off, won't I? ^_^  
**

**So yeah...here's the chapter! **

**WARNING: a few instances of minor language and hinted sexual content. But you guys can handle all that, i'm sure...lol**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – First Impressions**

I stood on the promontory of Pride Rock, staring out into the starlit sky. The moon cast an extraordinarily bright radiance upon us, making everything look as if it was glowing. A weak breeze blew, making the grasslands rustle quietly in the Pride Lands. The quiet was very calming, but my mind was working relentlessly, determined to keep me awake and alert. Messina's words echoed unceasingly through my subconscious.

_She smells of humans._

And so she did. Very strongly, in fact. Never before had I caught the scent of humans, and yet I knew it anywhere, having spent more than half of my life as one. But for a lioness to smell of one…My mind ran through scenario after scenario of why she could have their scent.

_But there aren't any humans near here! We would have scented them LONG before we could see them._

And suddenly, out of my confusion, the sound of a gunshot rang harshly through my psyche.

My blood ran cold.

_Don't jump to conclusions! It was ONLY a dream!_

But _was_ it? Could that have really been nothing more than a mere nightmare, despite it being so vivid…despite one part of it already eerily coming to pass?

A low growl rumbled in my chest as my frustration built. I stood up quickly and silently prowled into the den where the Pride was sound asleep, determined to find the answers at any cost.

Staring around, I saw that Leona had been moved next to Nuka where she lay sleeping quite comfortably it appeared. Even as my heart beat rapidly against my ribcage in a rush of adrenaline, seeing her so peaceful triggered something in me.

The fire and longing in my heart spiked suddenly, and now I was inexplicably staring not at a rogue lioness, but the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes upon.

Her facial features were pointed, but slightly curved so she had a distinct look about her unlike any lioness I had seen before. Clearly she wasn't from around here. She was slim and slender, yet there were powerfully carved muscles chiseled along the length of her body. Her paws, while certainly not dainty or small, seemed gentle and tender.

Images and fantasies began to pop in my head, which only further stoked the flames that were already rising and white hot. Situations began to play like mini movies, further propelling my attraction to her. My eyes were journeying slowly down her gorgeous body, following from her beautiful face all the way down to her…

"Ayden?"

I gave a start as Simba's voice whispered behind me.

"You ok?" he said through a yawn.

Catching my breath, I replied, "Yeah, fine. I'm just tired."

I looked back at Leona, remembering that despite her condition, she smelled of humans and was a rogue. I couldn't let physical attraction to her distract me from my duties as King and protector of my lands. She was still a potential danger and must be treated as such.

I turned and sauntered to my sleeping area. Laying down and closing my eyes, I felt the veil of sleep being cast over me, and soon I was sound asleep.

* * *

A magnificent sunset was bathing the Pride Lands with orange radiance while the clouds above glimmered with pink in the waning sunlight. I was standing on the promontory once again, staring out, taking in all the beauty of my home.

"Hello Ayden," a soft, tender voice whispered behind me.

I turned and saw Leona sauntering over to me slowly, eyes narrowed in a very seductive manner.

"Leona," I said surprised, my heart leaping into my throat at the sight of her. "Feeling better I take it?"

"Oh yes," she said, drawing closer in a deliberately provocative way, "I'm feeling just _perfect_."

On the last word, she purred it, and I shivered as goose bumps suddenly rattled my skin. She was next to me now, and she was nuzzling against me. The fire flared.

"You know," she whispered, her head slowly rubbing up my side to my neck. "I've been thinking about you an _awful_ lot. You are an _extraordinary_ lion."

"I-I-" I stuttered, drowning in her alluring presence.

"Hush," she said, her face inches from my own. "No need to talk. Just let the moment take over everything."

"Wait," I said half heartedly as she began to nuzzle my face. "I can't…"

But I trailed off, as she continued nuzzling. And the next thing I knew, I was nuzzling her right back. The fire in me was becoming wilder, as if it was being stoked with an endless supply of gasoline. The lust within me was withdrawing from within me and was coming out into the open, and I was enjoying every second of it. Leona was nuzzling and licking my face and neck in ways that I had never thought possible. It was a dream come true.

_**CRACK!**_

Leona stiffened and fell suddenly as the unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out. Everything within me froze: my lust, the fire, my overwhelming joy, everything abruptly halted as she lay dead before my paws.

* * *

My heart was pounding like a drum in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe as I awoke with a horrible start. Without thinking, I stood up quickly, pounced over the sleeping lionesses in the den, ran down the slope of Pride Rock, and out and around Pride Rock to the north, to my secluded stream.

Running normally helped me to calm my mind, but this time it did nothing. The anger, the frustration, the pain, the _overwhelming_ lust were all boiling unceasingly within me. I had to let it out.

Finally reaching my stream, I came to an abrupt halt. Breathing in and out for a moment, I finally couldn't' hold it in any longer, and I released an immense roar, all my emotions spilling out of that one reverberation. It lasted for quite a while, and when I was finished, my throat felt a bit raw and scratchy. But it helped a bit.

Lying down on the bank of the stream, I crossed my paws and lay my head on them. Closing my eyes and fighting back tears, my thoughts began to attempt to talk sense into me. It was as if somebody else was thinking them for me.

_You can't let these dreams get to you like this. They're only going to cause you stress and discomfort. They're ONLY dreams. She's JUST a lioness. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't let your thoughts carry you away into madness._

"It's not madness," I said into the silence, my voice shaky. "It's fear."

_Fear leads to anger, from that to hate, and from that into suffering. You CANNOT let your fear control you. It will become so much worse if you do._

A tear escaped from my closed eye, and I knew that what I was thinking was right. I needed to focus on my duties as King. These lusts were not right for me to feel about a potentially dangerous rogue.

Exhaling deeply, I stood up straight, all feelings of frustration and anger pushed aside. Silently and without another lustful thought, I walked back to Pride Rock in the moonlight.

**

* * *

--Leona—**

I felt myself regain consciousness. I tried to move, but my head was swimming so much as it was, that the motion only made my head spin faster. Scrunching up my eyes, I tried to remember the last thing that had happened before I lost consciousness.

A bright and scathing hot yellow desert swam briefly through my mind.

_That must have been where I passed out._

But wait…

Something else came swimming into memory…a lion, brilliant and dazzling with white fur. I didn't remember where he came from or who he was, but his face stuck out brighter than anything I had ever seen. For some reason, I felt pleasant remembering his face.

When the dizziness subdued, I opened my eyes.

I was lying in a large round cave. There was a substantial opening opposite me that curved around into the lands outside. A constant array of sunshine was beaming from around the corner.

Slowly lifting my head, I looked around the apparently vacant den.

"Awake now I see," said a calm voice from my right.

I looked quickly to see a weary and tired looking lion with an orange-brown pelt, black mane, and a vertical scar on his left eye.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to startle you," he said kindly.

"That's alright," I said, catching my breath. "Where am I?"

"You're at Pride Rock, center of the Pride Lands, and home to our Pride," he answered. "You were unconscious when our Kings Simba and Ayden found you. They saved you from three rogue hyenas."

I felt my jaw fall slightly at the lion's words.

_They had saved me? What had happened?_

I knew very well what had happened though…After weeks of exhausting traveling and endless hunger, I finally succumbed to the fatigue and fell unconscious.

"Who are you?" I asked in an attempt to stop my thoughts from resting on the reason why I was here.

"My name is Kamau, "he said with a smile. "I'm the brother of Kings Ayden and Simba."

_Royalty? How far have I come from home?!_

"I-I…uh…"

But before I could say anything else, a brilliant white lion strode into the den, looking rather agitated. My heart leapt as I realized this was the white faced lion that I remembered.

"I notice you have recovered," he said in a harsh tone, to which I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Um…yes," I said confusedly.

"Good," he said coldly. "Then would you mind explaining as to why you were wandering through our lands uninvited?"

"I…um…" I said, a bit taken aback. What was wrong with him? Why was he so mad? So…so _angry_? "I've been journeying for a long time and I was just passing through."

To my sheer amazement and displeasure, the lion scoffed at my answer.

"Like I haven't heard that from a million rogues before you."

"Rogue?" I said defensively, attempting to stand up. "When did I attack anybody on your lands? I was just passing through!"

"Without proper clearance," he said icily, his eyes narrowing.

"Ayden, what…" Kamau started, but one cold stare from the lion quickly silenced Kamau.

"Hey!" I said, trying to defend Kamau from the ill-tempered lion. "Don't treat him like that! Or myself for that matter!"

He turned his narrowed amber eyes on me, and mine locked with his. It was impossible to look away. He was truly menacing, and I quickly shut my mouth, against my will.

"You will do well," he said in a low whisper laced with a growl, "to mind your tongue and attitude. You're lucky you're even alive right now."

There was a moment of silence in which he may have expected me to retort, but I did not. I desperately longed to tell him what a cruel, black-hearted ass he was being, but the last thing I needed was more trouble. We merely stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"You will stay here until we can pass judgment on you," he said, his voice echoing eerily off the den's walls.

"Judgment?" I retorted

"Yes missy, judgment," he repeated.

Anger boiled inside me and my tongue was unhinged once more.

"It's Leona," I said angrily. "And since you won't give me a speck of kindness, I would _at least_ appreciate it if you called me by my name."

A low growl rumbled in his throat, but he did not act on it.

"Fine," he spat, "Leona, you will stay in here until we have decided what to do with you."

He turned and strode out of the cave without another word, leaving me in a state of pure shock and annoyance.

"What's got his tail in a knot?" I irritably asked Kamau when the lion was out of earshot.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Kamau replied, his tone reflecting the look of utter confusion on his face. "I've never seen Ayden act like that before."

I turned and stared at the entrance of the cave where two lionesses were now standing guard, thanks to the lion called Ayden, I was sure. Rolling my eyes, I looked back over at Kamau and froze.

Only now did I notice that he was not the only one in the room. An incredibly dirty and matted looking brown pelted lion lay, apparently unconscious, on the ground before Kamau. Awkward thin pink scars stood out amongst his fur, stretched across the length of his body. His chest rose and fell slowly, but steadily.

"Whoa…what happened to him?" I asked, all thoughts of Ayden pushed momentarily from my mind.

Kamau's eyes met mine for one brief moment, and then he stared down at his paws, gave a heavy sigh, and said very solemnly, "I happened."

"What?"

"About 5 months ago," he said, "our Pride and a former enemy pride battled each other. Nuka and I met in battle, and I lost control of myself. I nearly killed my own brother. He's been completely unconscious ever since. The prides both saw the errors of their ways and merged into one after the battle. Afterwards, we found Nuka barely alive. I've been watching over and taking care of him ever since. It's my fault he's this way. I won't leave his side until he's well again."

My mouth hung slightly open as Kamau recited the tale. How wondrous and uncommon it was for a lion to not only admit to such a horrible deed, but to follow through in spades to ensure he made up for it. I suddenly felt a great swell of respect for Kamau.

"That's incredibly honorable of you."

"No it isn't," he replied, "I already said he's like this because of me."

"Yes," I said kindly. "You did say that."

With a great effort, I slowly rose to my paws and, using the wall to stabilize myself, walked to him.

"But I mean what you are doing now, staying at his side, freely expressing the remorse you feel for your mistake. That is one of the most respectable things I've ever seen."

I smiled at him, and he returned it, his gloomy and drooped eyes sparkling momentarily. He leaned over and hugged me.

"I don't know what Ayden's problem is," he said muffled into my shoulder. "But he sure is missing out on the company of a wonderful lioness."

"Well it looks like we'll have each other's company for a long time," I replied, leaning back from the embrace, my tone turning disdainful again. "I'm not sure when I'm ever going to be allowed out of here."

"I'm sure Ayden will cool down after a while," he said encouragingly. "He's not one to hold grudges."

_Maybe not,_ I thought to myself, _but his attitude needs more than some adjusting. If this continues, a good kick to his lionhood would be satisfying. All I need is for my strength to return. Once it does…well Ayden, you'd better watch your back. I'm not someone to be kicked around._

With these angry thoughts bouncing through my mind, I began talking with the kindhearted Kamau, who was a great comfort to my situation.

**

* * *

--Ayden—**

I was pacing around in circles in the grasslands, my heart throbbing viciously in my chest.

"Who does she think she is, talking to me like that?" I said aloud to nobody. "_Me!_ The one who saved her life! The _King_ who deserves respect! And _this _is the thanks I get? Ungrateful shrew."

_What's happening to you?_ My own voice spoke in the confines of my head.

"I'm angry! What does it look like?" I shouted aloud.

_WHY?_

_**I-**_

But I couldn't think of what to say. And it was very simple to explain. I had no reason to be angry. And yet I was angrier than I had been in the longest time.

_WHY???_

"She's a rogue," I said quietly. "Her intentions are unknown. She could be dangerous."

_Do you REALLY believe that?_

The voice was condescending. And it was right. Nowhere in my mind did I have any doubts about Leona. I had no basis for it, but my gut told me that she was no threat to us at all.

_Then what on earth is all this for? What's with the charade?!_

_**I don't know.**_

Seeing Leona triggered something inside of me. It stoked the everlasting fire just like any beautiful lioness did, but there was just something different about the instances it happened with Leona. The fire would rear higher and hotter than it had ever done before, and images of me with her would instantly come to my mind.

I shook my head vigorously, as if I could easily shake the thoughts off like drops of water.

_You don't even know her, _I thought to myself. _How could you even expect a relationship with a lioness you've just met and treated like dirt! Even if you treat her better now, her first impression of you is nothing but a stupid and cruel ass of a king!_

I hung my head at this thought. That was the truth. She would now only see me as a cruel lion because of my initial treatment of her. Only Aiheu knew how long it would take before she would even get over that impression, let alone like me.

Sighing, I looked around towards Pride Rock, which now stood in the waning light of the setting sun. Slowly, I started towards it, unsure of what I was going to do next. One thing was certain; I needed to right this wrong before it was too late.


	5. A Second Chance

**Hey now guys! Been a while hasn't it? I've been up to quite a bit...I finally caught up on one of my betaing stories (you know who you are when you read this. ;) ), work has been toning down a bit (much to my wallet's dismay...) and school midterms mean that less learning and more review means more time to write!**

**I've created a poll for you all to take thats on my profile right now. PLEASE vote on it. It will help me what to decide in the future of the story.**

**Also! Due to copyright issues on one of my previous YouTube accounts (and my stupidity for using the same email address for both my story account and "illegal" account) my AydenMichaelSumpter account was suspended. Not to worry though! I've got a new one, username SimbaFan12! Subscribe to me, friend me, let me know if you're a fan or not!**

**Alrighty then! Here's the chapter! A rather longish one I might add. ^_^  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – A Second Chance**

Time seemed to move more sluggishly that I ever remembered it doing. I wanted nothing more than to immediately go to Leona and apologize to her, yet I knew very well that females hold onto anger for extended periods of time. Any attempt to reconcile at this point would end in disastrous proportions.

Instead I spent my time wandering the Pride Lands on my own, waiting for the right time (whenever that was) to arrive. Yet every time I looked to see where the sun was, I was in for a disappointment. Never before had a day dragged on like this for me. I was an inch from begging that the sun set so I could attempt to talk with her.

In desperation, I started doing any and everything I could to keep myself busy, including practicing my pouncing and stealth, sunning myself in the seemingly-still sun, and remembering what Kingly duties needed to still be taken care of. Time, if anything, seemed to slow down in retaliation to my efforts.

Growling in frustration, I wished beyond all hope that it would go quicker.

_Quicker?_

A sudden idea came to me. Maybe _this_ would speed time up a bit.

Not sure which way to turn to call out, I settled in just yelling straight up to the sky.

"Pygmies!"

The roar echoed for a few seconds before dying away. A few seconds passed. For a second, I thought the pygmy falcons hadn't heard me. I raised my head to call out again.

"Oi! What's the trouble Snowball?"

A gray blur dive bombed directly in front of my face, nearly giving me a heart attack.

"Blimey! And you're supposed to be the King?" Alvar said as he landed under my stomach with a chuckle. "Quite the jumpy one, ain'tcha?

"Geez!" I said huffily, "I knew you were fast, but _damn!"_

Laughing heartily, Alvar hopped out in front of me and replied, "What can I do for you Snowball?"

"Erm…" I said, biting my lip. I thought for a moment, searching for some excuse to have bugged him. I drew a blank. Sheepishly, I replied, "Really, nothing. I was just testing out how fast the call worked."

Alvar stared at me, scrutinizing my face.

"Somthin' the matter?"

"What?" I said quickly, my voice raising an octave. "No! Nothing at all!"

Alvar's eyes narrowed. In a flash, he had flown up to me and landed on my muzzle. "Come now ol' chap, I can see quite clearly you're in a right state. Alvar ain't gonna tell a soul, that you can be sure of."

"Well…"

I stopped for a moment. Was I _really_ about to tell my deepest troubles and pour out my soul to a bird I had seen only twice in my life? Then with a sudden realization, I knew that I didn't care. I needed to tell somebody, and Alvar was a trusting fellow from what I knew of him. With a sigh, I looked at him, and told him everything that had transpired over the last week. I only left out what I believed the dream to mean. That alone would be my secret.

It was an incredible load off my chest when I finished. The troubles were still there, but it was as if telling somebody what was going on drained quite a bit of the emotions that the previous events caused me. Alvar stared at me for quite some time, his expression looked confused, yet there was a glimmer in his eye. Then a broad smile was ever so present on his face.

"You're in love Snowball."

"What?" I said defensively, feeling taken aback. "That...that's ridiculous!"

Alvar raised an eyebrow, his grin growing, if at all possible, broader.

"I-I…"

My mind went utterly blank, as if it had frozen entirely.

And then the wheels began to turn.

Had it _really_ never occurred to me that these feelings for Leona were more than mere fascination and anger? Could it be possible, even in the slightest, that I was more than attracted to her? Could this feeling be the most intense and greatest feeling in the world?

The monumental vastness of this concept was so great that I couldn't even bear to stand. Slowly, I lay down on the ground, my mind abuzz with something a mixture of excitement and confusion.

Something was echoing in my mind, and it took me a few seconds to register that it was Alvar laughing heartily.

"Ah Snowball, 'taint nothin' to be troubled about!" he said through his laughter. "Love is a marvelous thing, it is! You've got quite a lot in store for ya now!"

"But…how can it even happen now?" I said, more myself thinking out loud than replying to him. "After the way I treated her? Even if I _do_ love her, how could she return the feelings?"

"Love has a way of working out, Snowball," Alvar said with a wink. "If it's meant to be, then things will happen in its natural time. You'll see mate! Now I must be off. My crew has been a right bit short of lazy and I need to straighten their tails out! See ya later Snowball!"

And with a blink, he was gone, leaving me to ponder what I was now almost positive to be the truth.

**

* * *

**

_Deep breaths…deep breaths. You can do this. You can __**do **__this._

Yet these thoughts gave me no comfort. Every possible bad-to-worse scenario played out in my mind as I wandered down the promontory of Pride Rock as the waning light of the sun began to reveal the sparkling stars above. Leona's defiant face stayed burned into my psyche as I neared the entrance to the cave, causing the dread within me to spike up.

_She's not going to forgive you. __**I**__ wouldn't forgive you._

Shaking my head as if these thoughts were so easily disposable, I kept moving forward towards my inevitable encounter with the lioness who I was so confused about.

I nodded my head towards the lionesses that guarded Leona's temporary prison, and they parted. I passed through them and neared the turn towards the den, my heart pounding all the while.

Right before I turned the corner, I froze. Two voices were speaking in hushed tones. I pinned my ears to better make out what the voices were saying.

"Wow. That's quite a story. I would have never guessed."

"Oh yes, Ayden is _the_ definition of rare."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Still…he was _incredibly_ rude." Leona said, making me wince mentally as if her words has sliced through me.

I heard Kamau sigh at Leona's comment. "I _really_ don't know what got into him, but trust me. He's not like that at all."

"I guess only time will tell, won't it?" Leona said quietly. "If he's anything like you Kamau, then everything will be just fine."

"What do you mean?" Kamau's voice became slightly tense.

"You've been so kind to me from the moment you met me a few hours ago," Leona explained kindly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Kamau chuckled nervously, and a sudden and inexplicable feeling of possession flared within me. I stood up and walked around the corner.

The reaction was instant. For one brief second, Kamau and Leona were sitting face to face, smiling intently at each other. Then the next second, Kamau glimpsed me and was on his feet, staring at the floor. Leona's eyes fixated on my own, and the fire flared within me.

"Hey Ayden," Kamau said nervously. "I was just making sure she didn't go anywhere."

"It's fine Kamau." I replied as kindly as I could, though a part of me felt strongly inclined to drop the niceties. "Could I have a moment alone with Leona?"

Leona's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Kamau looked at her, reassuringly, but she still seemed reluctant. Kamau nodded at her, smiling, then padded past me out and around the corner.

"Listen Leona," I said, having no clue where to start.

_I'm sorry might be a good place._

"I-uh…I wanted to apologize to you about how I treated you a few hours ago."

Leona's face softened, though her eyes still remained narrowed. My heart was pounding like a drum. I thanked Aiehu my fur covering my skin; otherwise she would have seen the little beads of sweat forming on my brow.

"I have no excuse. You're a guest, not a prisoner. The way I treated you was unacceptable."

Her eyes fluttered for a moment, and next thing I knew, they were wide open, staring into my own, attempting to gain some insight. My heart slowed a few paces. At least she was letting her guard down. But she said nothing. Clearly she was waiting for me to continue. My mind was blank, and I had no clue what to say.

"Uh…can you forgive me?"

I held my breath, waiting for her answer. She seemed to be contemplating what to do. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, my heart sped up once more.

And then quite suddenly, just as she opened her mouth to answer, a loud moaning echoed around the den, startling the both of us. My heart began to beat, if at all possible, even faster. I whirled around, searching for the source of the noise and then my eyes fell on the only other living soul in the room besides Leona and myself.

Nuka was stirring ever so slowly, moaning incoherently, his unfocused eyes blinking widely.

"Nuka…" I whispered aloud, noticing that Leona had done the exact same simultaneously. Every single thought was forced from my mind except for the wellbeing of the only living heir of Taka. In record time, I was next to him, kneeling down to look into his face.

"I-…wha…ungh…."

"Nuka," I said clearly, if not a bit rapidly. My heart leapt as his eyes focused unclearly on me. "Nuka, do you know who I am?"

"Uh-wha…"

"Nuka. Can you hear me?" I said a bit louder, desperation beginning to shake in my voice. Something soft and warm came to my side, and I saw Leona standing quite close to me out of the corner of my eye.

_Not now! _I silently told myself as the fire sparked.

Nuka's mouth slowly formed the word, and in a barely audible whimper, he replied, "Yes."

I sighed heavily, a smile breaking across my face. "Good. Nuka, can you tell me who am I?"

"Uh-A-Ayden…"

If I had the hand to do it, I would have punched the air in triumph. Excitement flooded within me and I turned quickly to the entrance and cried out, "Kamau! Get in here quick!"

Kamau rushed into the den at lightning speed, turning his head this way and that, fear reflected in his sapphire eyes.

"What's wrong? What happened? Is Nuka alright?!"

His eyes fell on the stirring lion, and his jaw dropped. The balloon of happiness within me swelled to epic proportions as Kamau came forward to help Nuka.

He was going to be alright!

* * *

My elation was short lived however. It soon became apparent that though Nuka was awake (clearly a sign that he was getting better), he was still in terrible condition. For the first few days, Nuka barely said a word, though his eyes did quite a bit of communicating for him. It was clear that he was either in pain or completely confused beyond reason. Whichever one it was, I could not always tell.

Helping Nuka became the Pride's number one priority, though some seemed reluctant to help. After a few choice words from Simba and myself, those who took issue with helping Nuka were silenced.

After two days, Nuka began to regain his speech. His voice was incredibly raspy, a result of its lack of usage over the last 5 months. Sometimes what he said was inaudible or incoherent, but for the most part he was regaining his speech fairly well.

Every day, he was bombarded with question and information of what happened to him, and it became clear that too much was too much. Nuka looked so confused after each encounter, so one afternoon, I called for everybody to move out of the den so I could speak with Nuka alone.

"I take it that you're not getting the quiet time you want, huh?" I asked with a smile.

Nuka looked up at me, his head swaying slightly as he lifted it. "Not really," he said wearily. "Why do they always have to come in and ask me all these questions?"

"Well, to be fair you were out cold for the better part of 5 months. They're just concerned for you," I told him, to which he rolled his eyes.

"Like I haven't heard that a hundred times today."

I felt a twinge of annoyance at his disregard for everyone's concern, but reminded myself that he had grown up with Zira and it was just natural for him to revert back to his defensive state. I sighed.

"Well you're going to have to get used to it," I said solemnly. "I'll try and get them to calm down, but I can't guarantee anything. I can't stop them from caring about your wellbeing."

I turned to leave when Nuka's raspy voice spoke from behind me. "Ayden, it isn't that I don't appreciate it. I do, a lot. Nobody's ever cared about me before. It's just all at once, and I'm not used to it."

I looked back around, smiling. "I understand Nuka. And you're wrong about one thing."

Nuka lifted his head and looked at me, slightly befuddled.

"Sarabi and I always cared about you."

With that, I left him, letting Kamau and his helpers return to the den to tend to Nuka.

Later that afternoon, I called the lionesses together and informed them that their concern was flattering and appreciated by Nuka, but that they needed to tone it down a bit. To my pleasant surprise, they agreed, no questions asked.

It was another week before Nuka could even stand on his own feet without our help, which was provided at any moment's notice. Walking was quite literally, the next step, yet he still took another week to get it down. It was like raising a child all over again; helping to hone natural skills like walking and talking, yet every day and every success from Nuka filled my heart with a bit more joy.

Nuka's entire past was devoid of love, compassion, or kindness (save for whatever Sarabi and I could show him) and instead was filled with hate, revulsion, ridicule, and rejection-all aimed at him. Now, however, he had a chance at a new life; one where he could be a functioning, respected, and loved member of our Pride. And my conversation with him had shown me that he knew it. He knew that here, he could have a better chance at life. With that thought in my mind, my worry for Nuka was slowly replaced with hope.

Yet that hope was starting to wane by the third week. Nuka had managed to stand on his own and walk out of the den, but that was as far as he could go without collapsing into a helpless pile. Nuka's strength was diminishing uncomfortably fast, and truth be told, he didn't have much to begin with.

"I'm not sure what it is," he told me one evening after three failed attempts at walking. Several minutes before, he told me he wanted some fresh air, so (with my help) we had walked out to the edge of the promontory and were sitting, staring out into the night sky.

"I can manage it for a little bit, but it's so hard." He said ashamedly. "What's wrong with me?"

"Like we've all told you before, Nuka," I replied quietly, "You were unconscious for 5 months. I'm no doctor, but I'd wager a guess that your legs are so unused at the moment that they can only take so much strain, which right now is not a lot."

He sighed. "What if…what if I'll never be able to walk again? I'd be just a useless waste of space. But then what else is new?"

"Nuka," I said sternly. "Don't even think that. You're family now, and you're going to get better. I promise you that. You just have to stay positive."

I had hoped that his walking would simply heal over time, but after the full week of him walking and collapsing time and time again, my hope for him was diminishing. Even Rafiki's distribution of daily herbs and medicines was not working. It was growing clearer to me that Nuka needed more than just our help.

Nuka was not the only one on my mind however.

Leona's situation was a bit more controlled than Nuka's. I never had the chance to hear her answer to my apology and I wanted to make up my behavior to her even more. As an added measure to the apology, once the shock of Nuka's unexpected awakening was over, I let her know that she was no longer imprisoned to the den. She was free to roam the Pride Lands within two miles of Pride Rock.

The distance limit was merely a precaution for several reasons. I still needed to keep some form of a leash on her. I was not willing to let her out of my sights so easily. Simba was convinced that I was still being harsh on her for being a rogue, and judging by the look on her face when I set the boundaries, Leona wasn't too thrilled with it either. But I knew that was not the case. My motives were entirely personal, and to be frank, selfish. I wanted her, and I was willing to do anything to keep her near me.

As the fourth week since Leona's arrival came to pass, it was getting clearer to me that Leona was without a doubt, the most interesting lioness I ever had the pleasure to meet. Granted, I could have been biased due to my secret feelings for her, but she was still interesting nonetheless. She was a very secretive lioness, who was very soft spoken. Yet her voice was laced with a hint of determination and possibly aggression. Just from the sound of her voice, I knew she was not a lioness that anybody would want to mess with. From what I could gather of her personality, she was difficult to gain trust from, yet I was sure if I could, she would be a lot more open.

On occasion, Leona would be approached by some of the more kindhearted lionesses of the Pride who tried to talk to her. Leona would speak with them, putting on a smile for their sakes, but she was still somewhat quiet. Any attempt to gain information of her past was thwarted by her excuse of "I'd rather not talk about it." Once these conversations were over, I couldn't help but notice that the smile was instantly gone, replaced with a sadness which I was willing to wager my rare coat was more than just situational. Something bigger was up, and it soon became my newest determination to find out what. That, I knew, would be a large challenge. In order to get her to tell me what was really going on, she needed to trust me. I needed to work at that.

When Simba and I first questioned about her past, she revealed very little. All she told us was that she did not know how long she had traveled, guessing about four days time (nearly half of that, she was running). This left Simba and I with the impression that she had to at least have been around 50 miles away from here. Remembering human metrics was interesting for a while, I'll admit.

One cloudy day, I was lying by my stream deep in thought as I stared at the sky. The clouds were a deep purple and looked like they were withholding an incredible amount of rain. I hoped they would relinquish it. My stream had emptied a significant amount in the last few months, and some rain would certainly do the stream some good.

Behind me, I heard a pair of paws padding towards me, and looked around.

My heart caught in my throat, making it all but impossible for me to breathe.

Leona was walking towards me. She smiled as she caught my eye.

After a second of gaping with my mouth ajar like an idiot, I finally found that I had the ability to speak.

"Leona! What are you doing here?"

"Honestly…I'm wondering that myself," she replied with a smug grin. "I'm not sure why I came to you. I was getting tired of all the other lioness's yapping, so I snuck off to get some quiet. Bad place to come to I suppose."

If anybody else had said this to me, they would have been flat on their back in an inescapable pinning by yours truly. Yet that instinct was completely absent when it came to Leona. In fact, even my witty comebacks seemed downright stupid whenever she was around.

"Well at least I'm quieter than Kamau…" was the one that came out today.

_What? __**WHAT???**_

"Uh…what?" Leona replied looking confused.

Fighting the urge to face-palm myself, I quickly replied, "Nothing."

Rolling her eyes, Leona walked closer to me and sat down about three paw lengths away. My heart slowly started rising into my throat again.

"This is a really beautiful place," she said quietly, staring around at the foliage surrounding the half-empty stream. "It's so quiet and peaceful."

"It was the first place I found when I came here that I could get some quiet," I replied, looking around too, taking in the peace and serenity of the stream. "At least until Simba started following me. He was just a cub then, and he always…"

"Well it _was_ quiet and peaceful," Leona said huffily, which shut me up real quick.

I stared down at my paws, feeling slightly embarrassed. For what, I wasn't sure, but the fact that Leona was annoyed my talking was enough to get me to stop doing it.

A soft breeze flowed through the air, carrying an ever so familiar scent upon its back.

_Humans._

_HUMANS!!!_

"Leona," I said seriously, and idea coming to me, "I know you're not entirely comfortable revealing any part of your past, but I need you to answer one question. It's crucial to the safety of the Pride."

Slowly, she nodded. I had a hunch she could guess what I was going to ask, but I said it anyways.

"You carry the scent of humans, a very strong one I might add. That scent is something that I, above all lions, recognize instantly. As King, I have to ask, and I expect an answer…Why do you carry that scent?"

Leona stared at me, looking more uncertain than before. She shook her head, whispering, "It's a long and painful story."

"Leona, I'm not here to ridicule or bring you any more pain," I said reassuringly. "I'm trying to help you, as a good King should do with every member of his Pride. But on top of that…I think you're a wonderful lioness, and I _want_ to help you. So go ahead. I won't judge."

Leona sighed, staring into my eyes for a few brief moments. Oh how I longed for her in those quick moments! Those dazzling emeralds for eyes that sparkled so remarkably! Then she opened her mouth to speak, which pulled me from my trance.

"I just can't tell the whole story, but I can tell you a small part. Really, all there is to tell is that for more than the last half of my life, I've lived on a reservation with humans taking care of me. A reservation is…"

"I know what a reservation is," I said kindly, "I was human for a while, remember?"

"Right," she said with a small smile. "Its hard to remember when you look so…_not_ like a human."

"But I thought there were no humans around here," I said aloud, more to myself than to Leona. My mind wandered back to the weeks that followed the deaths of my human family. I had completely lost track of how long I was out on my own after the third week. To my knowledge, humans had never even been near the Pride Lands in the last 7 years.

"Well, I traveled here from the north for at least four days," Leona replied.

As I mulled this over, my thoughts couldn't help but be tugged back to Nuka and his less than hopeful situation, and how he needed more than our help.

And suddenly, a light popped on in my brain. A way for all of this to get better! I knew exactly what to do!

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**Reviews please! PLEASE!!!!!**


	6. The Lion's out of the Bag

**He's ALIVE!!!!**

**Lol, yes readers I'm still here, and I'm still writing. I must apologize for my long absence. I was too caught up in schoolwork, finals, and I was performing in Rosinni's "The Barber of Seville" with the Townsend Opera Players at the Gallo Center for the Arts (an opera for those who don't know), which kept me EXTREMELY busy. Aaaaand...some laziness was thrown into the mix as well.**

**But the important thing is I'm back! With a vengeance...well, I'll let you decide that. But anyways the chapter's here. I have two things to tell you before we begin with the chapter**

**Firstly, there is a story that ties into this one. It is not a FF story, but rather one on Fiction Press . com (take out the spaces)**, **and it is all about Leona. It's written by my beta-reader, BookRose. Due to the fact that FF won't let me post URL's, I'm forced to give you directions on how to get to the story. Simply search her name in the Author Search function on Fiction Press and it'll pop up with her profile, where her story is. Read it as well, so this story can make a bit more sense!**

** Finally, I do have an important message for you readers who seem to have lost faith in me...**

**I've disabled Anonymous Reviews. I apologize to my faithful readers who use this method to review my stories, but this has been something that has been on my mind for one main reason; Those who ask questions in anonymous reviews are really putting themselves out, because I cannot reply to them until another author's note in the next chapter. The only way for me to properly answer your question is if I private message you, and since its anonymous, that would be out of the question. **

**Now normally, I'd have thought on this a bit longer, but one review in particular finally made me break down and disable them; one who reviewed my story saying that "_This author sucks because he hasn't updated. I'm removing the story from my favorites._"...If this reader actually had an account with the site, I could have EASILY replied to them letting them know that I'm still here and I'm still writing...but as it is, I've now lost a reader partly to my doing, but also because of the reader's inability to take 5 minutes and make an account.**

**So to all my anonymous readers and reviewers...I IMPLORE YOU!!!!! PLEASE make an account with the site! It will make everything SO much easier, and you'll find it's easier for you as well! You can keep track of all of your favorite stories, authors, etc! It really is worth it, and it's totally free too (in case any of you were wondering...)**

**So after that lecture...LET THE READING COMMENCE!!!!  
**

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Chapter 6 – The Lion's Out of the Bag…**

"Are you out of your mind?!?"

Simba's sudden outburst at my idea echoed around the den, ringing in my ears. His reaction was less than expected. Needless to say, my fur was slightly ruffled as I recovered from the jump he gave me.

"No!" I said in protest. "It's brilliant!"

"I fail to see the 'brilliance'," Simba said flatly, his eyes contracted in confusion.

"Look," I replied impatiently, not sure why he was putting up such a fight. "You've seen how Nuka is right now. He's awake and he can walk, but only just. We've done all we can and it isn't enough! He needs help that we can't provide."

"And humans can?" Simba asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Do you even remember what I did for our family four years ago?" I asked coldly, "Or has that little _incident_ slipped your memory?"

Simba's face froze, and I clearly saw the memory of Kiara's birth reflected in his eyes; how she had nearly suffocated and how I had saved her life at the last second. His gaze pieced me for a few brief seconds before he spoke again.

"It isn't that I don't trust humans. In fact, it's just the opposite. You showed me that humans are _more_ than worthy of trust, and capable too. I'm not worried about that part." He said slowly with reluctance. "But that's an_ incredible_ amount of trust to place in Leona. I mean we barely even know her. Who's to say that she won't lead us into a trap?"

"First off," I said shortly, "There's no 'we' here. There will only be me and Leona. She'll be taking me and me alone. Secondly, I trust her. I have no doubt in my mind that she will comply and take me to get Nuka some help."

"And what would make you so willing to trust someone who, only a month ago, you did not?" Simba asked, his voice rising slightly.

"I have my reasons," I said quietly, staring down at my paws. "However sudden and…_strange _they are, I have my reasons." I looked up at him, pleading with him. "Simba, I need you to trust me on this. I know it sounds crazy, but it'll work. I've got an idea that would get Nuka to safety and into hands more than capable of helping him. Please Simba. You don't have to trust her. Just trust me."

Simba stared into my eyes for quite some time. When he opened his mouth again, it seemed forced, yet understanding lingered within those amber orbs.

"I really don't understand, nor do I think this is a good idea, but I do trust you."

Several voices echoed through the entrance of the den, bringing both of our attentions towards it. Nala, Vitani, and Kiara were all walking into the den, laughing lightly at some unknown joke.

Simba turned back to me and quickly said, "Let me know when you're preparing to leave."

"Alright," I said. "That shouldn't be long. Vitani!"

She looked up at me expectantly. "What do you need Ayden?"

"I need you to go fetch Leona for me," I said urgently. "I need to talk to her about something important."

I winked at her, and she smiled. Quick as a flash, Vitani nodded and turned and sprinted out the entrance of the den.

**

* * *

--Leona—**

Ayden had told me he would need to speak with me later. Of what exactly, I didn't know. But I had a vague idea of what it would be.

As soon as I had told him I lived on a reservation four days away, his entire demeanor had changed. Prior, he was rather calm and composed. Yet upon my revelation, his eyes had lit up, and he had jumped to his paws.

"Stay right here. I'll need to speak with you about something important later!" he had called over his shoulder as he suddenly took off towards Pride Rock. My heart began to descend into my stomach at his words.

I didn't want to talk about that. _Anything_ but that. But of course, I knew my history was what he wanted to talk about. What else could have sparked such a reaction?

So I slowly began walking towards Pride Rock, sure that he would want me nearby for easy access. Nothing seemed to really matter anymore, so what did it matter if I told him what happened? It wasn't as if I kept it a secret that it would make things better.

But that glint in his eye…that was more than excitement at my revelation. He had gotten an idea…one that I had no clue about, but was sure that I wouldn't like.

As I drew nearer to Pride Rock, the sun began to set, causing the Pride Lands to glow in radiant, neon orange light as they did every evening. I stopped and stared across the lands. No matter what was going through my mind, be it good or bad, the beauty of the Pride Lands at sunset always made me forget everything else. I was so mesmerized by the sheer gorgeousness of the terrain in this light. There was something so calming about it. I sighed solemnly, and as I did, a single name latched onto the escaping breath.

"Claire…"

A second passed before I realized that tears were softly streaming from my eyes.

"Leona!"

Startled, I wiped my face and turned towards the sound of Vitani's voice. She was sprinting towards me from Pride Rock.

"Leona, Ayden needs to speak with you," she said, breathing heavily, pushing her bangs out of her face so she could see me properly.

I sighed. I should have expected this to happen this soon, yet somewhere I had hoped that he would wait a bit longer. Looking up at Vitani, I smiled.

"Thanks 'Tani. I'll head up there now."

* * *

I padded up the side of Pride Rock to the entrance of the den, where half the Pride was streaming out, with Simba following up at the back. He shook his mane as the light hit him. When he opened his eyes, they fell on me.

"Evening Leona. Ayden's waiting inside for you," he said with a smile, though his eyes seemed uncertain.

"Thanks Simba."

I turned into the mouth of the cave and rounded the corner.

"Leona! Just the lioness I wanted to see!" was Ayden's welcome as I stepped into the den. I looked around and took note that he was by himself.

"So I heard," I said, trying to smile. "What do you need me for?"

"Well, I had an idea. A way for us to help Nuka recover. One that I just _know _is gonna work! And it's all thanks to you!"

The excitement seemed to be pouring out of every orifice on his body. He was absolutely radiant with joy, and it was quite contagious. I found my mouth twitching to smile even wider as I witnessed his cheerfulness.

"Me?" I said slightly confused, though my suspicions were still in place. "I can't imagine why."

"You told me earlier today that you lived on a reservation about four days away, right?" he asked, positively beaming.

"Yes," I said, feeling my heart sink. The moment I had dreaded was upon me.

He was almost bouncing as he tried to contain his enthusiasm at this brilliant idea of his. "Well, I think that if we found a way to get Nuka there, then maybe he'd still have a chance to get better! You could take me there, and since I know how to communicate in a human sorta way, we could lead them out here and have them pick him up and take him back! What'cha think?"

My heart plummeted all the way into my stomach, sinking deep into it's depths as my blood ran ice-cold. It was worse than I had feared. I opened my mouth, but found that I had no answer.

He stared at me, his smile faltering, his eyes losing some of their shine.

"Leona?"

He not only wanted me to reveal my dark and depressing past, but he wanted me to take him _back_ to the place where it all had happened.

Finally, words found their way back into my brain. I couldn't bear to look at him when I told him.

"I…I'm sorry. But I…can't. I just can't."

**

* * *

--Ayden—**

The balloon of happiness within my heart had burst. It was as if it had expanded my insides, filling me with nothing but joy and elation. The possibilities had seemed endless. And now, it had gone so fast that there was nothing there…pure emptiness.

"Wh-what?"

She looked up at me. Tears were slowly streaming down her face. Those sorrowful eyes pierced through me like a hot iron through snow.

"Ayden, I can hardly stand to think of that place, let alone even consider going back."

Her forelegs were shaking, and she was losing her balance. In my deflated stupor, I rushed forward and held her up, walking her slowly to the center of the room where the raised rock was. When we got there, she collapsed gently as I continued to help her, and she lay silently crying into her paws.

For a few moments, I let her cry. Aiehu knew that I too had my fair share of moments like these, and allowing them to pass only helped me in the process. To tell her to simply 'buck up' and coo her with claims of 'everything's gonna be ok' would only be a façade; a band-aid solution, good for now, but eventually would simply fall off and leave the wound still there. What would _really_ help her was to talk. Or at least…I hoped it would.

"Leona…please…" I practically begged her, "I know it hurts, but what happened there? C'mon Leona, I know it's hard, but talking actually helps make you feel better…please…"

She took a moment to compose herself before looking up at me, her emerald eyes glistening with tears.

"She abandoned me…"

A brief moment of silence fell after her words like a veil. Determined, I pushed through it.

"What?" I said, dumbfounded. "Who? Who abandoned you?"

"Claire…my Claire…she left me tranquilized in the middle of the savannah and drove off without me…"

My mouth fell open, and I tried to find the words to say. For a moment, only a few guttural sounds escaped my throat. Then I found my tongue again.

"Leona…what happened? Who is Claire?"

She sighed heavily and looked down at her paws. "She's my mother…or rather, my adoptive mother and caretaker. This is partly my fault. I attacked another human on the reservation, and she stopped me…but I'd lost control like that before, and I always just woke up in my cage. But this time…something was different…she was _so_ sad when she…she…"

"Left you out there," I finished for her. She nodded, tears starting to fall again. I lifted my paw and wiped them from her face. I noticed that my face was so close to hers. Slowly, I moved ever so much closer towards her.

The reaction was instant. Her head went underneath my neck and next thing I knew, we were together in close embrace. My neck over hers, I felt her shaking below me with silent sobs.

"Leona, I know it hurts…but I think I can help," I said softly, nuzzling even closer towards her.

She pulled out of the embrace and stared up at me. My neck where she had been nuzzling up at me felt slightly colder.

"How?" she asked quietly, staring at me intently. Through her sorrow, she was determined to hear what I had to say…anything that could help calm her.

"Well…when humans are attacked by animals, it's a big thing. Generally, if it happens once, that's enough to have that animal put down. But you said you've done this before?"

She nodded silently, still staring.

"Well, that must mean that your Claire was either _very_ influential or powerful, because she had to convince the authorities and her bosses that you should be let to live."

Her eyes faltered slightly. Slowly, understanding began to shine through. I pressed on, hoping that what I was about to say wouldn't anger her.

"So I think that when you did it again, she couldn't convince them. She'd already vouched for you once and…well…since you did it again, it made her less credible. So she did the only thing she could to save you…she let you go. Because if she hadn't, you…"

"I…would have been put down…" she finished, her eyes moving away from my own. "Aiehu above…she saved my life…again."

"Again?" I asked curiously. "She's done this before?"

She looked back up at me with the seriousness of a war veteran. With a sigh, she began.

"Yes. She's told me the story so many times. I'll never forget what she did for me. The day I was born, my mother abandoned me. Claire came across me as a newborn cub with no means to fend for myself. I don't remember it, but she told me that right as she came across me, a hyena came and scooped me up. But Claire thought fast and chased after the hyena. She bashed its head with a rock and killed it, saving me. After a long night of more danger and threats, she finally arrived at her mobile home and kept me safe.

"After a few months, when I finally started remembering things, she was having issues keeping me. I think it was because somehow, it was wrong to have me with her. So we moved to the reservation where she got the job keeping and tending to me. For 3 years, we lived there and things went well with only two…_incidents_ where I attacked some workers. But like I said, I always woke up in my cage the next day. And then…about a month ago, I attacked another one…and now, here I am."

She stared down at her paws.

"I've been telling myself that she just abandoned me…that she just left me…that she didn't love me…but now…"

She looked up at me, her eyes shining now not with tears, but rather, joy.

"Thank you Ayden. You've just taken an _immense_ weight off my shoulders. I don't know _how_ I could ever repay you…"

"Well…" I said, smiling a little bit. "There is one way…"

She stopped for a brief moment. For a moment, I thought I had asked too much. But then…

"Yes. I'll take you there," she replied with a sigh. "Now that I know that she didn't abandon me…I want to see if I could go back to her. Or at least…say a proper goodbye. There's nothing that's holding me back from going there now."

I smiled, the balloon growing in my chest again. And not just because there was a chance for Nuka…but now, I was going on a journey for at _least_ four days with Leona…

"Great! Let's go tell Simba!" I replied joyously.

Leona stood up and made to leave. Before going though, she leaned up into my neck once more and nuzzled me, purring deeply.

"Thank you."

The move caught me by such a surprise, that my legs nearly gave out. Wobbling like Jell-O, my eyes widened briefly before I completely relaxed in a dreamy smile.

And then I fell to the floor, still smiling stupidly, as she quickly rounded the corner out of sight.

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**Now please...GET AN ACCOUNT...and review! Also, if you do read BookRose's "Leona", PLEASE review it too...a Fiction Press account is essentially the same as a Fan Fiction account. **

**^_^ Hope to see you all again soon...I'm hoping to have one more chapter up before Christmas...not sure if I can meet that deadline, but keep your fingers crossed!**


	7. Two Peas in a Pod

**Alrighty guys, I'm on a roll! Two chapters within 3 days! It think this chapter marks a first for me; all three of my main character's POV's in the same chapter! This is PROBABLY the last chapter before Christmas. I wouldn't get your hopes TOO high up for another one before then, but with me, you never know! ^_^  
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**Chapter 7 – Two Peas in a Pod**

**--Leona—**

Something had changed within me. Something was not the same. Not anymore. It was as if everything negative I had known was gone, and in it's place was pure elation.

She had _not_ left me! She had saved me! She still loved me! I could have flown for joy, I was so elated!

"Wow Leona…you're looking cheerier than I've ever seen you!"

The voice startled me, but as I turned to face Vitani, I couldn't help but break into a grin.

"Oh 'Tani, I've just had wonderful revelation!" I cried, practically bouncing up and down. Now I knew _exactly_ what Ayden had been going through.

"That you're actually a rabbit?" Vitani chuckled, her eyes following my bouncy behavior. I didn't care though. In fact, I started moving closer to her just for the sheer fun of it. She took the gesture well and swatted at me playfully.

"Tani, this is life-changing!" I laughed, "All this month, I've made myself believe that I was abandoned, but now I know otherwise! And it's all thanks to Ayden! Oh he's so wonderful!"

The last part had come out unintentionally, and I caught it a second too late. Vitani's eyes went from playful to shocked and then to pleasantly scrutinizing.

"Oh is he now?" she said slyly, narrowing her eyes even further.

"Well…that is…what I meant was that…." I stuttered, trying to recuperate from my slip-up. "He's just…such a smart and caring lion. He helped me out…made me feel better, like any _friend_ would." I put strong emphasis on the word "friend". "That's all I meant."

I finished with a chuckle, hoping I had salvaged myself from Vitani's gaze. I must have failed miserably, however. Her smile was glued to her face as she giggled a little.

"Whatever you say, Leona. Shall I have the Pride clear out the den for you and your _friend_ for some alone time tonight?" she said, turning around, still grinning her devilishly sly grin.

My breath caught in my chest. My mind raced until it landed on the perfect retaliation.

"Oh absolutely!" I cried in mock-happiness. "And just out of curiosity, would you like to join us? I'm sure Tanabi would just _pounce_ on the opportunity…"

With a gasp, the smirk was wiped from her face faster than a gazelle fleeing from the hunt. Apparently she had been under the impression that I hadn't noticed how she looked at Simba's son; how her eyes always seemed to go out of focus whenever she saw him pad by; how he always grinned stupidly whenever she was within sight; how they both couldn't hold a conversation without stuttering at each other. I was expecting Vitani to pounce at me, and was even halfway braced for it. But instead, she sat on her haunches and stared at her paws. She was silent for a moment.

"Well, I guess we both have some issues to deal with, don't we?" she sighed.

For a second time, I had to remember to breathe. This had been the very last thing I had expected from Vitani. She was the hothead in the Pride and was easily provoked. To see her take such a swipe and not even so much as retaliate was rare.

"Vitani…" I said, trying to break the awkward moment, "I...I was only playing."

"I know." She said. Then with an embarrassed grin, she looked up at me. "I guess it's pretty obvious though, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I then resorted to simply staring down at my paws. Vitani laughed her hearty laugh.

"But you know what? I'm fine with it," she said, completely serious through her smile. "I'm not embarrassed. Tanabi and I have a connection that we just don't have with anybody else in the Pride. Sure, neither of us has really made a move to one-up our relationship, but I have a feeling it will happen soon. He completes me in a way nobody else has ever done, or ever will do. And do you know what Leona?"

I looked up at her. She smiled knowingly, her eyes sparkling with kindness.

"We started out the same way as you and Ayden did."

The instinct that told me to deny any idea of me and Ayden together was completely absent now. And not because I had been caught. It was because I wanted to hear this. Vitani's words were coming from her heart, and if she could pour her heart out, then so could I.

"Initially, there was a lot of tension," she continued, still staring at me. "Aiehu knows how much tension there really was. I did quite a number on him my second week in the Pride. Let's just say he'll never sit right again without remembering his little slip up. But he's past that now, and can joke about it. Now we're best friends. And it's only a matter of time before we become something more. You may not see it now with Ayden, but I can Leona. I can see it very clearly. Trust me."

With that, she stood up and, with one last smile, turned and left back towards Pride Rock, leaving me in a more confused state than I had ever imagined I could be.

**

* * *

--Simba—**

Ayden and Leona spent the next day preparing for their journey. Ayden had delved into Leona's memory just enough so that she could remember the way back to the reservation. One thing in particular that she said seemed to really spark Ayden's interest though. Something about a thing called a 'map'.

"I never understood how to read it though," she said sadly. "I only kept it so I could always have something of Claire's to remember her by. But about a week before you guys found me, it blew away and I couldn't find it again. Hey! Where are you going?" she cried as Ayden suddenly whirled around and rushed into the den.

"I _totally_ forgot about that!!!" he cried as he disappeared around the corner. Leona and I stared at each other for a moment before rushing into the den after him. As we entered, we saw he was crouched down in the far right corner of the den, with his face apparently pressed right into the wall.

"Ayden…what in Aiehu's name are you doing?" I asked, moving closer to see what he was up to.

He backed up to reveal a hole in the cave wall where a small boulder had once been. Never had I noticed this hole was there before. Staring up at him, I saw that clamped in his jaws was the incredibly tattered, yet still whole remains of his old backpack. It looked so much smaller now that he was a lion.

"You didn't think I was just gonna toss this out did you?" He said through his clenched teeth. Setting the pack down, he stuck his muzzle in one of the openings. He began pulling out an assortment of items from the pack, tossing them aside as he searched for the elusive 'map'. From inside, he continued to talk, sounding quite muffled. "My dad packed a map in here when we went on the safari. I never touched it after I settled down here, so it should still be in good condition. Aha!"

He pulled his face from the pack, holding a rectangular and flat looking item in his mouth. "This will help us immensely!"

Leona's eyes lit up as her eyes rested on the map. "Ayden, you're brilliant! Oh, this is going to be so much easier now!" Ayden smiled proudly at her compliment, looking a little dreamy as he did. Annoyance boiled over inside of me.

"If somebody would _please_ tell me what the hell is a map!?" I said loudly.

Ayden laid the map down and looked at me. "Geez Simba, chill out. A map is what humans use to know where they're going. It' just a flat piece of paper that has drawings of what's around them and it tells them how far they have to go between one destination to another. I'll show you."

Carefully with a single claw, he opened up the rectangular object over and over and over again until it was more than four times its original size. All over the map were a thousand straight and curved black lines, none of which made any sense to me. A single blue curved line that ended in a circle near the center of the map was the only thing that stood out to me.

"You see that blue circle and the line from it?" Ayden asked. Slowly, I nodded. "Well, the circle is us. The Pride Lands…or at least where Pride Rock is. That line goes out to where my family died. Wow…"

He stopped and stared at the line. Clearly it meant much more to him than it did to me.

"What's wrong?" Leona asked, leaning down to look at it more closely.

"Nothing…" he said, his eyes flicking from the line to the lower left corner of the map where a smaller square with smaller lines sat. "It's just that I never realized how far I walked after the accident to get here. It was about…two weeks, if I remember correctly. It looks like about…40 miles."

I was getting more and more confused by the minute.

"Can we use terms that I understand please?" I said flatly.

"Sorry," he said. "Just…remembering." Ayden said, smiling sheepishly up at me. "Back to business. Leona…do you remember the name of the reservation?"

"Um…I think it was Koko Mila…or something like that."

"Let's see…" Ayden said, sticking his face even closer into the map. "Here it is! Koko Milele Sanctuary! It's about…50 miles out. You said you got here in 4 days? That doesn't seem right…"

"Well," Leona replied deep in thought, "They did drive out and leave me in the middle of the savannah…they could have driven out quite a ways. So I'd say it would take us about 5, maybe 6 days to get there."

"Sounds about right." Ayden replied.

_This is just ridiculous! How can he trust her with such a big issue? He's so naïve! She could leave him out there by himself at the first sign of danger!_

"I don't know." I said deliberately doubtful, hoping he would see my issue. "That seems an awful long time away."

"What do you mean?" Ayden asked innocently. "You and I just spent about a week away from the Pride. Besides, you'll still be here. It's actually a better situation than the last time."

I couldn't find anything to say to this. I sat there with my mouth open like a helpless idiot while Ayden and Leona continued to plan their little journey. They were so into it that they didn't' even notice as I turned and left. My heart was bitter as they laughed together behind me.

* * *

That evening, I stood out on the promontory of Pride Rock, staring out at the half moon in the distant sky. My mind was abuzz with questions, doubts, and confusion.

Ayden and Leona's journey was just half of my problems.

Kovu and Kiara were the other half. Over the last month, as our "Kingship 101 Lessons" (as they had been dubbed) progressed, their attention seemed to diminish with each lesson, unlike Tanabi, who shared the same enthusiasm as I did as a cub at being the King. It worried me to no end that Kovu and Kiara would not hold true to the ways that had held the Pride Lands together for years. My fear for the future of the Pride Lands was growing more and more every day.

A memory faded into my mind and played before me as though it were happening at that very moment.

_"The great Kings of the Past look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those Kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I…"_

My father's voice rang deep within my mind. As his words echoed, they struck my heart. If there was ever a time that I needed help, it was now.

Staring up, I saw Astra de Leo clearly as it glistened in the sky, as if the Kings were winking at me. Closing my eyes with a sigh, I spoke with all the passion and hope in my heart.

"Father…I am lost. Ayden's mind isn't right. He's making a hasty decision with no thought of the consequences that could hurt him. And he won't listen to me. He's scaring me. And Kovu and Kiara are scaring me as well. Their lack of focus could end up with disastrous results… please, Father…help me…help me know what to do…"

"Simba?"

I looked around to see Nala walking over to me. With a smile that belonged to her and her alone, she sat next to me and looked into my eyes.

"I was seeking counsel from the Great Kings," I said as I smiled back at my beloved.

"And did they help?" she asked.

I sighed and stared up at Astra de Leo. "Silent as stars. My father would never have let Ayden…"

"Oh Simba," Nala interrupted with a chuckle. She nuzzled me gently. "You want so much to walk the path expected of you. You want to do as your father did and ensure not just the survival, but the happiness of every creature in our care. If you just let things run their course, you'll see that you wouldn't need to."

"But if I don't do my kingly duties…"

"It's not about abandoning your responsibilities though," she said, still smiling. "Just relax a little, and you'll see what I mean. Trust me sweetheart."

With one last nuzzle, she turned and walked back into the den. I looked out across the lands, her words now replacing my father's as they echoed through my psyche.

Did I _really_ believe that Leona would leave Ayden to die? Or that Kiara and Kovu would even, for one minute, allow for their home to fall to ruin?

As Nala's words faded, the ludicrousness of those possibilities started to grow. Of course Leona could be trusted. I'd known, trusted, and loved Ayden for practically my entire life. If he trusted Leona, then so did I, and any question against that was tossed from my mind. And my own child and her mate…the same trust went for them as well. Besides, Tanabi would be there with them the entire time. It wasn't as if they were the only ones who would rule.

My mind immensely more peaceful, I turned and followed Nala back into the den for a well deserved night of sleep.

**

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--Ayden—**

It was finally upon us. The morning when Leona and I would leave for Koko Milele Sanctuary. Not only was this something that would help Nuka, but it was also a historic moment in the history of the Pride Lands; or at least, I hoped it would be.

True, it wouldn't be the first time the Pride had encountered humans before (I could account for that one). But one human living with the Pride and bridging the gap between two species were two completely different issues altogether. If we succeeded, we'd not only be able to ensure Nuka's future, but the future of the Pride for generations.

The entire Pride had gathered at the base of Pride Rock. Leona and I were to wait in the den until it was time for the two of us to emerge for the Pride's goodbye. We both stood in the mouth of the cave, smiling at each other. The map had been tied to my right foreleg by Rafiki. One of the few things I missed about being a human were the opposable thumbs. Huge and powerful paws were very useful for hunting and staying stealthy, but grasping objects was an impossible task now, one that I actually found that I missed.

"So…you're ready for this then?" I asked.

Leona stared at me. Though she smiled, her face was completely serious. "Absolutely. Now that I know the truth."

I grinned. "Good. Because I know I'm not."

Her smile faded. "What? What do you mean you're not ready?"

"Well…" I said sheepishly, but suddenly I was interrupted by Simba's voice as it carried over the wind outside.

"And so, we now bring out Ayden and Leona to wish them good fortune and safe journey!"

"That's us," I said with a smile. Leona's face was incredulous.

"This isn't over smartass. You're telling me the _second_ we leave."

"Sure, sure," I said happily as I started forward out of the cave.

The smile was back on her face as we walked out and down Pride Rock, but I could tell it was just ever so slightly forced now.

The Pride was separated into two lines on either side of us, all beaming as we walked between them all. At the very bottom sat royal family, all looking at the two of us quite contentedly. We stopped in front of them and waited. Simba looked at the pair of us for a moment, looking much happier than I had seen him in the last few days. Then he spoke.

"Ayden and Leona, you leave us today not for your gain, but for the gain and wellbeing of our Pride. We all wish you a safe journey."

"May Aiehu light your path," The entire Pride said in unison. And with that, they all bowed in respect to me. Leona glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

"This is to you, right?" She barely whispered.

"Yeah. Still not quite used to it," I whispered back.

"I don't blame you."

The Pride stood up, all still smiling. Simba walked forward and embraced me.

"Be safe, brother."

"I will. Keep a good eye on the Pride as well," I said back.

He let go. We smiled one last time, and then I turned to Leona.

"Ready?"

"Only as ready as you are," She said with a hint of sarcasm, raising her eyebrow. As she did, the royal family parted for us to begin our journey.

"Then let's get going slowpoke!" I called over my shoulder as, with a burst of energy, I sprinted forward.

Leona's shocked "HEY!" flared the fire within me as she too sprinted after me. Together, we ran to the northeast, where the orange light of the sun had only just began to peak over the mountains; a beacon for us to follow on our journey.

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**Ok guys...do I really need to ask? I'll just say it once more...PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE...review...**

**Just as an extra measure, the first three people to review AND correctly guess the 3 references in this chapter (not counting my betas...lol, you guys ALREADY get what I'm about to offer) will get a sneak preview of the next chapter when I've got some of it. I'll give you a hint. 2 are from the first and second Lion King. The third is from a widely known Broadway Musical. HAVE AT IT!!!!  
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**So if you want that, REVIEW!!!!  
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	8. Trepidation

**HE'S ALIVE!!!!**

**Hi guys...I know, I know...it's been a LONG time. But I've got something to make up for it. I'll (hopefully) have another chapter posted tomorrow, and seeing as it's Valentine's Day then, it'll be a fairly fitting chapter. At least...part of it. But anyways...**

**My only excuse for my prolonged absence is *drumroll* *drumroll stops* *prolonged silence* School. And work. And the gym. And Xbox Live...lol, Modern Warfare 2...WHAT an addiction. Yeah...life got in the way. Sorry about that...I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again.**

**Watch me fail at that...lol.  
**

**This chapter may have a bit different writing style than my own, and that's because of one thing; I didn't write this one. If you'll join me for a MAGICAL JOURNEY!!!!!...to the first chapter. Lol, just burst the bubble didn't I? Well anyways, if you look at the title (The Heart of Man, for those who forgot since it's been so long since I've updated), under my name, you'll also see the words "Co-Written by BookRose". This is one of those instances. I've gone through this chapter and added my own touches, but about 98% of it is hers. Remember, BookRose is also the one who wrote "Leona" on FictionPress, which I URGE you all to read! **

**Also, we're getting a new character's POV introduced here...so without further ado, ENJOY!  
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Chapter 8 - Trepidation**

**--Claire Christensen--**

Claire Elise Christensen, daughter of Barrett and Lauren Christensen and native of Kansas City, was barely able to think of anything, much less something as trivial as where she came from, as she practically dragged herself into her quarters. Currently, she did not live with her parents and she had not seen her hometown of Kansas City in almost four years. This was very unusual for she was only 17, still considered a minor in her home country, the United States. She had run away from home at the tender age of 13, and for the past three and a half years, she had been in Africa, working at the Koko Milele Sanctuary for endangered and helpless animals.

As she passed the doorway, she half-heartedly tried to slam the door. It didn't have the desired effect, but at least the door got shut anyway. Flopping onto her bed, she stared numbly into nothing.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it…._

But it was no use. How could she _not_ think about it? How could she not think about the crisis that had shattered her entire world to pieces, stomped them into dust, and scattered them to parts unknown to never be fixed again? It was like trying not to run from a dangerous predator. You knew it was no good, that it would make the situation much worse, but you did it anyway because your whole being could do absolutely nothing else. Eventually, she gave up the futile attempt and buried her face into the pillow, sobbing her heart out until she had no tears left.

Plain and simple, she was heartbroken. That which was most precious to her in all the world had been torn from her arms and practically tossed with no care into the cold cruel world. And she had been powerless to stop it.

_Leona….let me be with __**you**__, Leona….._

A knock on her door brought her out of her stupor.

"Miss Claire, it is I, Carika," said the voice from the other side. "I need to come in and talk to you please."

"Sure, why not?" she responded listlessly. The words fell from her tongue effortlessly and without her control. _Bring a party in too to enhance my misery while you're at it. What should I care?_

The door creaked open, and in walked Carika. She stood staring at Claire for a moment, taking in the whole scene. Then, she strode across the room and, quietly sitting on her bed, the blonde haired, blue eyed South African native looked into Claire's eyes. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, but she voiced no concern about it.

"Miss Claire," she began in her heavily cloaked accent. "I know this is not an ideal situation for you," she paused, looking even more uneasy. "But you won't really be allowed to, well, mourn for long. You're here because you asked to be here and if you wish to stay here, you have to earn your keep. The real world expects you to move on and do as you're supposed to, for the good of everybody. Mr. Bedwing expects no less." She leaned in, whispering so softly, Claire had to strain her ears to catch it, "You're lucky there are enough of us who love you enough to have simply taken her out to the wild and left her there rather than have done as he said and put her down." Her gaze turned stern as she continued. "You ought to be grateful for that. At least out there she has a chance and even if Mr. Bedwing finds out, she's still relatively safe and has somewhat of a good chance of finding a pride that will take her in. At least she did not die by our hand."

Claire opened her mouth to reply but before she could, Erevu, another teenager on the reservation, poked his head in looking apprehensive.

"Miss Claire," he said in a quiet manner _completely_ unlike the troublemaker he was. "Mr. Bedwing requests that you come to his office."

Claire tried not to look panicked, as Carika turned back to her with an air of resignation.

"You knew this would happen," she said quietly. "He had her execution set for today, and we released her just yesterday. You really had no time at all." Her eyes were sympathetic.

"Yeah. You think I'd be used to not having time to get used to things by now," Claire said bluntly in a monotone.

She stood resolutely, determined at this moment to not show anybody any weakness, to let no one see her pain. Inside, she was quaking, wondering just how much worse an already nightmarish situation could get. Lenka Bedwing was not a man you messed with lightly. When she had first arrived at the reservation, young, naïve, scared, and all alone, she'd had no idea what she was getting into and no idea of what the owner was really like. Everything had seemed ideal at first; she had just escaped the one place Leona could not grow up in, the reservation was not only allowing her and Leona to take sanctuary there, but everything seemed to be exactly the way the brochures for the place had described. It was a place with wide open spaces, where the land was healthy, the food was plentiful, the people were friendly. Her very first day, several of them had walked up to her with their different specialties, each one wanting to do what they did best so that Leona would be able to achieve the best life possible once she reached adulthood.

Gradually though, as time went by and she learned what was expected of her, the place started to seem less and less like a good decision and more and more like the last option she had so desperately grasped at.

It usually started as something innocuous or unbelievably trivial; if she was feeding the animals, she was supposed to be in her room studying from the manuals home-schooled kids learned from. If she was doing that, she was neglecting her duties to the animals. The consequences weren't light either. Claire learned very quickly that she was walking on a very fragile, very unpredictable tightrope. The wrong move to make, or the wrong thing to say was rewarded with very efficient consequences. And the consequences usually involved Leona in some way. It didn't matter if she had clearly been told differently or if what happened was an accident. If she didn't do well on the tests she took, she was not allowed to see Leona for two days. If she hadn't bathed, or fed, or entertained an animal she was assigned to, the punishment extended to a week. This above all else was torture for her; She could've easily stood the lesser punishments with no problem; missing dinner or having her other privileges taken away hurt for a little bit but not nearly as much as being denied time with her.

She was the whole reason she was here; the sheer injustice of being forbidden to see her was unbelievable as well as excruciating. As her list of "offenses" kept growing, in degree and number, she started to wonder, truly wonder if this had been a good decision at all. If she hadn't had the friends she'd made here at the reservation, and most important, if Leona didn't truly need this place the way she did, she would have packed up and run away.

A dangerous move to be sure, but it was better than staying in a place intent on stealing your soul. Besides, she still remembered the region where her family had stayed the first time she came to Africa. The reservation wasn't that far from the village, and as far as she knew, Mzungu, a woman she knew years ago, still lived there, still worked as a midwife. It had been a flimsy hope, but one she had clung to on the nights where her troubles seemed to be the worst.

Now there was nothing left. All she had now was her pride and that she held tightly in her heart as she knocked on the owner's door.

"Enter," came the imperious command.

She struggled madly to maintain a calm and unperturbed façade as she obeyed. Whatever else happened, Bedwing could not know how she really felt. She _refused_ to give him that satisfaction.

Gingerly stepping into his office, she fought to keep from flinching at the chilly atmosphere. The back of his chair met her gaze as his back was to her. Even though it was long into the dry season, she felt the shivers run up and down her spine, her hands firmly clenched at her sides.

"Sit," he brusquely commanded, and she obeyed. The chair turned to her.

The overweight old man who sat before her could have been a corpse, had he not been moving. His pale, jowly skin hung from his face, as if it were slowly rotting. Thin, wispy wires of white hair surrounded the sides of his head while at the top remained nothing but a rough, bald patch of skin. His sunken eyes, which were fixated on Claire, were dark and always angry. Now, however, they seemed almost twice as angry. The horned-rimmed glasses that framed them only intensified the glare.

"So." He stared down at her, the shadows in his face seeming to grow darker every minute, a cold fire burning strongly within his dark and shadowed eyes. If the devil himself were staring at her instead of Mr. Bedwing, she may not have known the difference.

"Is it true, then?" he spoke barely above a whisper. "Did you go against my instructions and release a dangerous animal into the wild?"

"I-"

"Foolish, incompetent, _stupid_ girl!" he rasped. "Don't you realize the severity of your actions? This animal has attacked twice in the course of her adulthood! And now she's loose in the wild, free to hurt whoever she pleases! _AND _you've, yet again, disobeyed direct orders and disrespected my authority! I should have ended her life the first time, but-"

He cut himself off, acting as though he was trying with great effort not to go into a full-blown rage. Claire had only seen that happen once, and even though it had not been directed at her, she still had nightmares; for she knew only too well that with his temper and her inability to do anything right in most of the staff's eyes, it could happen at any time and the same ghastly consequences would be heaped upon her.

_It was going to happen sooner or later anyway,_ she thought resignedly.

"You are by far, the worst decision I ever made," he said frigidly. "I gave you a home here when I didn't have to. I could have let you wander into the wild parks where any number of animals would have made short work of you. I could have let you fall into the hands of one of Africa's many governments, or maybe a man from one of local villages looking for a child bride? But no, I took you in and gave you and your beast a safe haven and how do repay me? You are ungrateful and incompetent, not fit to muck out the elephant pens! There always seems to be a problem with you; you have no respect for the gifts you've been given, the charity we here at Koko Milele have bestowed upon you and that _savage animal_ of yours."

He stepped back, scrutinizing her with cold, indifferent eyes.

"You know," he said blandly. "The creature never had any respect for our kindness either. She never got along with the other lions as she was supposed to. And to attack not once, but _twice?"_ He sneered. "I really should have done away with her the first time. She may now be outside the consequences of Koko Milele," and at this he turned and glared hatefully at her.

"But you, _girl, _are_**not**__._"

Her heart skipped a beat and she had to remind herself to breathe, but she showed no sign of it. Showing fear now would only give him satisfaction, and she would rather spend her entire life mucking out the elephant pens than give him an ounce of satisfaction.

"I don't yet know what I'm going to do with you, but I have plenty of time to think about it. So you needn't fret. I'll be leaving on important business for a few days, and I want you to be a _model employee._" He fixated his gaze on her eyes with an inscrutable look that made her feel like a bug under the microscope. "You will do all of your duties without a single complaint and you are restricted to one meal a day. Is that clear or has there been any _misunderstanding_?" he sneered.

She fixed a blank emotionless look on him. "Everything is understood perfectly," she intoned monotonously.

"Then you are dismissed. Get out of my sight."

As she walked down the corridor back to her room, she wondered if the dread she felt in the pit of her stomach was a premonition of sorts to what she should expect for the rest of her life. She was essentially stuck here in this place forever now; all she had to look forward to was one sadistic old man's own brand of torture for the rest of her life.

_I could run away._

_**To where? He's right, nowhere else in Africa will have you. Besides, what about Leona?**_

And there it was. Her whole reason for being on this God-forsaken continent. Nope, she was stuck. And now her mind turned to a place that she had considered a few times before.

Perhaps her strength would be sapped soon enough from being malnourished and she would die. Leona was probably already dead, so maybe if she followed her soon, she could catch up. Would God allow her to spend eternity with her, even though she was an animal instead of a human? Would Leona even _be_ there when she got there? _Did_ animals go to Heaven? The teachings of the church had never said no outright, but the implication seemed on the peripheral, just on the very edges of the belief system. Oh how she hoped for it to be wrong.

When she got back to her room, Carika was still there waiting for her, Faraji now sitting at her side. Claire felt a genuine warmth stir her heart at the sight of them, despite the magnitude of her current situation. No matter what else she was put through, at least the one good thing left was her friends. And right now she needed them. Badly.

She had dissolved into tears before she had even finished crossing into her quarters. Faraji patiently took her into his arms, silently comforting her, as she took a few moments to compose herself.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"He…he hates me because I released Leona right under his nose. And I'm apparently an ungrateful brat who doesn't know what's good for her and when he gets back from his business trip," she swallowed. "He's going to decide what the best _punishment_ is for me," she finished bitterly.

She looked up tearfully. "What do you think he's going to do, Carika? He's your uncle."

"It-it is hard to say," she answered uncertainly. "He may only take away all of your privileges. Or…," all color drained from her face.

"What?"

"You could very well be sold. Nobody has ever proven anything, but there have been times in the past when someone who disagreed with him ended up disappearing. If they are ever heard from again, it is only because someone saw them working as a slave. Usually owned by one of his business associates or his long time comrades."

"But that's illegal, isn't it?" Claire asked, vainly hoping.

"Not here in Africa, no child."

She sat there, trying to wrap her mind around this shocking concept. "Wha-…what am I gonna do? I don't know if I could stand living like that."

"I think you should go back to your home in America, _mpendwa,_" said Faraji. "It has been so long for them and they don't know where you are or if you live. It would bring them such joy to realize that not only are you alive, but that you have grown up to be a beautiful young woman on the outside," he moved his hand to the middle of his chest. "and in your heart as well."

Claire sat silent for a moment, thinking on this. A thousand thoughts yet only a few seconds later, she spoke.

"Well I would go home," she began. "But I'm pretty sure my mom wouldn't want me anymore. She was so mad before I left. And," her eyes welled up again. Would she _ever_ stop the incessant weeping!? "I don't want to leave here without knowing Leona's all right. Anything can happen to her. She's so alone out there, untried and inexperienced. We hadn't even started on trying to integrate her into the wild with survival and hunting lessons!"

She wiped her eyes. "And now I'll never know what became of her. It's already too much to bear without going back to the States and essentially abandoning her again."

"I'm sorry Claire. I think Faraji is wiser than the both of us on this. You need to go back. _Look at me_," she commanded, and Claire obeyed, as a child would their mother. "As your friends, we need to think about what is best for you. Leona is lost now and there is nothing more we can do for her. But for _you_ anything can be done. You are in great danger. I love my uncle, but I know him. When his temper is provoked, the recipient is never safe unless far away from him. Despite what you think, it is not the end of the world. You are still very young with many years before you that have not yet been written. And so is Leona. It is very possible that her strength will see her through and she will learn what she was supposed to on her own."

"And if she doesn't?" she challenged.

Carika looked at her sadly. "Then maybe it will have been her time. She was still so blessed to know you. She owes you her very life."

"Please don't make me…please," she cried quietly.

But she knew it was futile to even form the words in her mouth. But she was not through just yet.

* * *

That night, before she laid her weary and stress-filed mind to sleep, she looked out her window to observe the Evening Star. No matter what kind of trouble she was in, no matter how upset she was, no matter how bleak things seemed for her, the Evening Star was always there, shining bright, filling her with some form of hope, however small. It was comforting to know that even though the rest of the constellations changed with location, _She_ didn't.

Eyes closed, hands clamped together, she made a wish and held on tight, for it was all she had now.

"Please, please, please, Evangeline….please watch over Leona, wherever she is. _Please…_"

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**Reviews please! Let me know I still have some fans out there! :)**

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**Made ya look! Lol jk, but seriously...Can anybody guess the reference in this chapter? Give ya a hint! It's from a fairly recent, kid-friendly movie!  
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	9. Stargazing

**Happy Valentines Day everybody! Told you I'd have the chapter up today! And what a fitting chapter it is! Just read and find out!  


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Chapter 9 – ****Stargazing**

**--Ayden—**

Several hours had passed since Leona and I had left home. After Leona had finally caught up to me after my little race, she tried repeatedly to get me to reveal exactly what I was about to tell her before our departure. But I wasn't about to let up that easily. Truth be told, it was a rather important issue. One that I was sure I could deal with, but if I revealed it too prematurely, Leona might lose some hope for our predicament. I would wait until that evening to tell her, that way we'd be too far into the journey for her to consider turning back.

And I still wanted to keep her guessing, which was very amusing on my part.

The sun was setting to the west behind us as we continued walking on, far past the boundary of the Pride Lands. Leona had been silent for a while now, and it had started to worry me that maybe she was giving me the silent treatment.

"So…" I said aloud, hoping it would break the silence. She looked over at me as we walked, her emerald eyes sparkling. My mind suddenly went blank as I became lost in them.

"Yes?" She said hopefully.

"Uh…er…"

"_Yes?_" she asked again, a bit amused at, what I was sure was, the gapingly dumbstruck look on my face.

"I…heh, I forgot."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smile.

"How you manage to rule a kingdom…"

"Hey! I happen to have saved this kingdom twice!" I retorted defiantly.

"And yet you can't form two words together when I ask you a simple question." She fired back with a smug smile.

Under my fur, I flushed red. "I'm just having an off day…"

Afterwards, I fell silent, feeling slightly more embarrassed and foolish than before.

Alvar was right. I was in love with this lioness. The attraction to her was like a magnet, and I had the distinct feeling that I couldn't stay away from her even if I wanted to. Seeing this playful and a bit _too _outspoken side of her would definitely be something to get used to.

**--Leona—**

It was just too cute at how he would retract into his shell the second I messed with him. I wasn't sure if he knew or not, but I was well aware that he had feelings for me. Why is it guys make it so obvious? They try to hide it, but it's like a monkey putting a banana in a wide open space and thinking it was hiding it. It's like an open invitation to mess around with them. Personally, I found it incredibly fun to exploit that. It was just too much fun to see him as confounded as he was now because of his feelings; striding beside me, a look on his face of somebody who was utterly dumbstruck and powerless. I certainly didn't want to go too far though, lest he change his feelings towards me and become reluctant or even unfriendly.

I have to admit, it was nice for a change. The lions at the reservation hadn't exactly been what I'd call 'friends'. Oh sure, we were on good terms from time to time, and there were a few that I could talk to (more or less). But my over-aggressive nature made it hard for me to be able to approach any lions without raising their fur. The only affection I ever knew was from Claire, and that was like a small stream, trickling through the savannah. My arrival at Pride Rock had turned that stream into a raging river. And if the Pride's affections were like a river, Ayden's was an enormous waterfall that had no bottom. And that, more than anything, was something I really appreciated. He was really starting to grow on me.

His feelings for me were also something that I had experienced before. Some males on the reservation had tried to 'pair up' with me. Some were charming, but all of them were just plain stupid. One in particular was named Dufu, and after an attempt at an unwanted nuzzle, I knew exactly what he was after. Let's just say he'll remember me the next time his lionhood thinks for him. Never before had I let any lion into my mind. Yet here I was, having told my darkest secret to Ayden. I had put so much more trust in this one lion than any other. That said a lot for his character…and for my feelings for him as well.

To say that Ayden was not good looking would be a lie, In fact, he was more than good looking. He was downright gorgeous. The pure color of his coat was enough to turn anybody's eye, and it had certainly kept my gaze on many occasions, unbeknownst to him. The way it shimmered in the light; how it moved in waves as the breeze blew. Even whenever he walked, the simple shifting of his well toned muscles would make the strands of white shimmer dazzlingly. But even the color of his pelt was less beautiful than himself; The chiseled facial features, the golden-amber eyes, his well-toned muscular body, the white bit of mane that hung down just very slightly into them, the pointed black nose, and the dashing smile…I found myself mesmerized by the sheer beauty of this one creature that I had the pleasure to share company with.

I figured enough was enough. No more insults…for now. So I eased up on him.

"You look tired. Should we rest here for the night?"

He stopped and stared up at the violet sky. Stars were beginning to twinkle into existence as the half moon slowly peeked over the eastern horizon.

"Wow…we've made good time," he said, stifling a yawn. "I think you're right…we should rest here."

With that, he plopped down on the ground, where his gaze then moved upwards towards the stars that were now amassing in the sky. I followed suit, looking into the glittering light show above.

"They're so pretty…" I whispered.

"Yeah…you are," he replied dreamily.

My head snapped down as I caught him staring at me. The change of his expression was priceless as in a second's time, he went from dreamy, to shock, to embarrassment, and then to innocence as he stared back up at the sky.

"I mean _**they**_ are pretty…the stars, that is…not that you're not pretty! Because I think you're beautiful…that is…I mean…"

His stuttering was growing less and less coherent, and I found myself giggling at his lack of words and processed thought.

"That's ok Ayden. I think you're quite the charmer yourself."

The dreamy look was back as the stupid smile was once again present on his muzzle.

"Thanks…" he whispered, his eyes out of focus.

For one brief moment, we just stared into each others eyes, our paws touching one another.

I was involuntarily moving closer to him. I wasn't sure what to do. Faster than I intended, I moved a paw's length closer to him. Suddenly, his expression changed. He cleared his throat and looked pointedly back up into the sky.

I sighed and did the same. As my eyes scanned the sky, they rested on the one star that would forever be held dear in my heart. I nudged Ayden, who jumped at my touch, his fur shooting out on end.

"Calm down there. I just wanted to show you something."

He shook himself so his fur would sit straight again. "Sorry…just…scared me, that's all. Which one did you want to show me?"

"That one," I said, jerking my head to the north at the brightest star in the sky.

"That's the North star," he said happily.

"Claire had a name for her…she said she her grandfather had named her, before he passed away." The story was pouring from my heart as my mind filled with memories of my Claire. "Her name's Evangeline. Claire used to talk to her with me all the time. If she was upset, she'd talk to me and Evangeline and say that we'd get through the hardship fine. Even when she was happy, she'd just take me out at night and talk with me and Evangeline."

Ayden stared at Evangeline for a moment. Then he looked down at me and smiled again.

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Your Claire sounds like a wonderful woman."

"More than you could ever know," I replied, staring down at my paws.

Claire lingered in my thoughts, which were reaching longingly out to the reservation that we were now headed to. A few moments of silence passed before I looked back up. Ayden was staring back into the sky. One cluster in particular seemed to really interest him.

"What's so interesting about those stars?" I asked

He stared over at me, a broad smile on his face. The kind of smile that one wears when sharing a secret. And sure enough…

"Do you wanna hear something that I've only told very few lions before?"

He was positively beaming, and I knew this was something that I wanted to hear.

"Sure," I said happily, looking into his eyes intently.

He looked away, back towards the cluster of stars.

"That group up there…it's called 'Astra de Leo'. It means 'Lion's Star'. It's where Aiehu and the Kings of the Past reside."

"Wow…you can really see where all of those who pass on go from here?" I asked, amazed. The stars did seem to have brighter glow than the rest in the sky.

"Yup. And you know something else?"

He turned back to me, with the biggest smile I'd ever seen. Clearly, this was something that he'd thing I'd find impressive or positive towards his character.

"I've been there."

My smile froze. It took me a second to register what he had said. I wasn't sure he knew exactly what he was saying…maybe he'd gotten lost; love-struck in my eyes again.

"Ayden…they're just stars. They're pretty to look at, and they give you a peaceful state of mind to think in. But you can't possibly have gone there. They're too far away."

"No, I don't think you get what I mean…" He said quietly, still smiling. "They're not _just_ stars."

"What are you talking about?" I said, narrowing my eyes in confusion. I looked back up at the cluster, and sure enough…they looked like ordinary stars. They were a bit brighter than any others in the sky, true, but that didn't seem abnormal.

"Did Claire ever talk to you about God? We call him Aiehu."

"Talk?" I said with a laugh. "God is one of the biggest things in her life! She told me about how he created the world and all of us. And she was always talking to him! If she wasn't talking to Evangeline at night, she was talking to God. Strange…I never heard him talk back though, but she must have heard him, because she still kept talking to him."

Ayden's smile grew bigger. "Well, that's where he lives." He jerked his head towards the stars again. "It's not just a cluster of stars. It's a part of Heaven."

My mouth was agape, my mind whirling with confusion. Ayden rolled his eyes with a matter-of-fact sigh.

"Remember what I told you about why I'm a white lion?"

My mind was able to form coherent words again. "Uh…yeah…you said that you were killed, but because you were given the power to talk to animals, you were allowed to come back because of a…prophecy, right?"

"And you believed that, right?"

Now that I thought about it, it sounded all the more ludicrous. My mouth was still hanging open. I really didn't know what to think, but disbelief was starting to take over. Was I REALLY going to believe such a tall tale?

Ayden must have seen it in my eyes, because his smile faltered.

"You…you don't think I'm lying, do you?"

"Well…"

In an instant, Ayden's smile was gone, replaced with a look of desperation.

"Leona, I swear to you, I'm not lying. I really was a human! I had a family! I had an entire life before the Pride Lands! I went to school, I had friends, I had my license and my own car! I could drive! I knew how to read and write! Look, I still can!"

He unsheathed a claw and, with a little difficulty, started scratching it determinedly in the dirt. I moved closer and looked at what he was doing in the moonlight. I couldn't read what they said, but I recognized it as the symbols on signs all over the reservation.

"What…what does it say?"

Ayden froze, his mouth halfway open. His voice faltered, making a guttural sound in his throat.

"Uh…uh…King of Pride Rock," he said quickly; a little too quickly. It sounded to me like he really didn't know what he wrote.

"Ayden, please," I said quietly. "I don't know what you're thinking, but this is just a little pathetic."

"How did I get that backpack then? How could I read the map?!" He said, his voice rising in volume. His eyes were fearful; desperate. Either he really wanted me to believe the lie, or he was telling the truth. Either way, he was getting a little crazed.

"Ayden, calm down. I'm not mad," I said softly.

"No!" he cried, "You have to believe me! Please Leona…please…why would I lie about something like this? What possible reason could I have to make this up?"

I didn't have an answer…at least, not one that I would say out loud to him. He was already to the breaking point. Revealing that I knew how he felt about me would only send him over the edge.

But then, his words really struck me. Why _would _he make something like this up?

"Leona…I'm telling you this because I…"

My heart skipped. He _wasn't _going to tell me...

"…I don't know."

My heart went back to beating like normal. I knew it. He wouldn't say it. But he wasn't done talking.

"There's just something different about you. I've only told this to lions who I'm really close to. I feel a special connection to you. I'm not sure where it came from, or why it's there. All I know is that I just want you to like me. I thought sharing my deep secret with you would help you to like me."

And then, his breathing was growing shallow and faster. There were tears in his eyes, and suddenly my disappointment vanished, replaced with sympathy. I didn't want to make him cry…suddenly, I felt angry at myself that I had pushed him to this. I never wanted to see him hurt, and I _especially_ didn't want to be the one who hurt him.

"Ayden…" I said, walking towards him, placing my head underneath his. "I already like you. You are the nicest lion I've ever met. One of my closest friends. In fact…you _are_ my closest friend. No one's ever treated me like you do. I feel as comfortable with you as I am with Claire. And if she won't take me back…well, I think staying with you would be just as good."

**--Ayden—**

My breathing was slowing down as Leona's words filled my heart with such warmth that I'd never known before. She would _actually_ stay with me? Oh, if only I could sprout wings, I'd be floating on air at that very moment! Yet at the same time, an intense anger with myself was building up, dragging me back down to earth like gravity's pull magnified by ten.

_STOP CRYING IN FRONT OF HER! Aiehu above! What are you, some kind of wimp?! Pull yourself together! She's gonna think you're a whimpering cub or something!_

**_Why are you even crying in the first place?!_**

_I don't know...I just want her to believe it. I don't want her to think I'm a pathetic liar trying to win her affections...  
_

I blinked hard over and over, trying to force back the tears. But as we all know, the more you fight something stronger than you, the more it overpowers you until it consumes you. Sure enough, the tears fell even harder as I tried to blink them back. Leona moved her head from underneath mine, and I doubled my effort, which only forced more tears down.

In several fluid motions, she licked my face clean of tears. Then she pulled her face back, with a sheepish smile. I had completely forgotten that I was upset now. In fact, I had forgotten everything, save for one fact; Leona had licked my face. I was back in the air again, floating above everything on a cloud. My heart was beating hard against my ribcage, but it wasn't painful. It was pure ecstasy!

Without a single thought about what would happen, without a pause to think about the consequences, I did the unthinkable;

I leaned forward, and licked her square on the nose.

The second I realized what I had done, I froze. There we were, inches from each other's faces, staring into each other's eyes. Both of us stayed frozen. Seconds dragged on. Fear started to trickle into my heart. Had I gone too far?

And then, she smiled.

"It's awful late isn't it," she chuckled. "We must both be really tired."

I laughed, a little louder than normal. "Yeah…we _must_ be."

My heart deflated a little. I had been hoping for more…but the fact that she had let me lick her, and let me keep my jewels was more than enough to keep my heart filled with joy.

Smiling at each other, we laid on the ground right where we stood. I stretched, realizing just how tired I really was. As I laid my head on my paws, my eyes started to droop lazily as I looked into Leona's beautiful face. Her eyes were wide open, and deep in thought. She seemed to be deciding something.

"Is something wrong?" I asked quietly.

"It's just…you look pretty cold over there."

"What?" I asked, picking my head up to look at her properly.

"I said…" She stood up with a sly smile and, unexpectedly, laid parallel beside me, her back against my stomach. "…you look pretty cold over here. I may just have to warm you up."

What little of my heart that had deflated was suddenly filed once more. Her body was so warm against mine, her fur so soft. She laid her head back until it was, once again, propped underneath my chin. The spot that her head always found there seemed to fit her _perfectly_; like she was meant to be there. And I was meant to be here.

From out of nowhere, a deep rumbling started emanating from my throat; a sound that I had never made before, but knew exactly what it was. I had owned a cat once, and I'd heard some of the Pride members make the sound before. It was the sound that the lionesses made when they lay lazily and happily in the sun. It was the sound that Simba and Nala made when they sat together, nuzzling each other. It was the sound that all the cubs would make when their mother bathed them. For the first time in my life, I was purring.

Looking up at the sky one last time, Evangeline sparkled beautifully in the darkness. Something told me that she had played a part in how tonight's events turned out.

"Thanks Evangeline," I whispered, as I lay my head down one last time.

The quiet rumbling in my throat continued, and I chuckled to myself as I slowly drifted to sleep. As I did, the earlier scene between Leona and I played again in my head, and as I slipped from consciousness into unconsciousness, the scene went an entirely different direction; a direction that, while it happened only in my dreams, something told me that it would not take long before that dream became a reality.

* * *

**Lol, so those of you who guessed "The Princess and the Frog" were correct...and Evangeline is here to stay. ^_^ I really loved Evangeline in the movie, so I couldn't resist adding her in. ^_^**

**Reviews?**


	10. Instinct

**Lol, no this isn't an April Fool...Never been one to celebrate the holiday. However, my birthday is in April! :) I'm turning 20 this month in 11 days! Lol but enough about me...**

**So, again with each chapter comes with my apology of how it took me so long to update, how XBOX and school and work got in the way, yadda yadda yadda...you're all used to my 'excuses' by now I'm sure. Lol  
**

**Well, here we are again. One chapter closer to the end of the trilogy...We're very close to the halfway point by now, and we're only a few chapters away from a large turning point. But no more spoilers now...Read and review...and ENJOY! :)**

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**Chapter 10 – Instinct**

**--Ayden—**

Four days passed as Leona and I continued northeast towards the sanctuary. On occasion, I'd call out for one of the Pygmy falcons to make sure we were headed in the right direction, and sure enough, we were dead on course.

Four days of nothing but walking, while tiring, was more boring than anything. In my former life, a road trip where the trip was several hours of sitting in a backseat, I always had a book to read or music to listen to. There was always something there to keep me busy that made the time go faster. That luxury was not available in my present situation. Here, there was nothing but me, Leona, and the path ahead of us.

Luckily, after opening up to me, Leona had much more to say than I ever thought possible. From the story of how she and Claire came together, to her minor adventures at the reservation with some other animals and humans, to her simple marveling at the beauty of the lands around us, she was quite a chatterbox at times.

And I listened to each and every word, enjoying not only what she was saying, but also simply the sound of her voice. Of course, she would occasionally fall back into her playful remarks towards my, shall we say 'absentmindedness' when it came to her, and she seemed to enjoy my reactions. I learned not to take them as seriously as time went by, and in fact, I started making remarks of my own. This only sparked even more sarcastic fun between the two of us.

The changing landscape was fascinating. Each day, and sometimes even every few hours, nature around us would slowly transition from one terrain into another as we journeyed through. From grasslands, to savannahs, jungles, and deserts, it was a menagerie of scenery. Never before had I seen such exotic plants or terrain, and it was certainly an experience I'd like to have experienced again. I took note of places that I thought more beautiful, and intended on visiting them once more before my life ended.

Being only the two of us, hunting for food was slightly more challenging than if we had the entire Pride. However, with the abilities in stealth I'd developed since taking my lion form, and Leona with her natural skills, it wasn't too hard. Each day, we'd take a little time off of traveling and split up in opposite directions to find any prey nearby. Once one of us would find a small herd, we'd fetch the other and together, we'd take down one of the stragglers.

Leona was a little rusty at hunting, being fed by humans practically all her life. It was fun teaching her how to stay quiet and covert, making sure to be ever vigilant of her surroundings, knowing the wind direction which would carry her scent, moving and flowing with the grass around her as it danced in the breeze. Teaching her about using her paws to feel movements and vibrations through the earth beneath was interesting. Every hunt we went through together was always successful.

With the two of us simply enjoying each other's company, the trip was going by quickly, and without a hitch or flaw.

But nothing is perfect.

Our fifth day, I awoke early in the morning to find that Leona was not sleeping against my stomach, as she had been doing ever since our first night together. I stretched and blinked back grogginess. Looking around, I tried to see if she was lying somewhere else. But the girl was nowhere to be found.

Standing up and stretching, I stared around, confused.

"Leona?" I called out through a yawn.

No answer.

_Where on earth could she have gone?_

Luckily, finding her was easy. She still carried the distinct odor of humans, so a couple quick whiffs in a few directions told me she had gone westward. I quickly trotted that way, halfway curious, halfway unsure, about her whereabouts.

A thin layer of fog was off in the direction I was heading, casting a mystical haze. The violet sky above was slowly transitioning as it stretched to the horizon; deep purple to pink and then to bright orange, as the sun began to peak the mountains.

About ten minutes later, I stumbled across Leona's crouched form, low in the grass, staring intently across a grassy hill that was shrouded in fog.

"Leona," I said matter-of-factly, "What's going on?"

"Shhhh…" She shushed quietly. "Get down." She motioned with her eyes towards the hill. Thoroughly confused, I obliged. Looking over at what she was focused on, I realized what she was staring at.

"Cows!" I said in an excited whisper, crouching down as well. At the base of the hill was a large herd of cattle, grazing silently on the dewy long-grass. _Beef! What a blast from the past this will be!_

Leona set her sights on a nearby brown cow, which was facing the opposite direction. A perfect target.

"On my count…" She whispered, raising her hindquarters in the air. "Three…"

I raised my hindquarters as well, readying for the spring. How cool was this! Cows in Africa! How long had it been since I'd had beef? I couldn't even remember…

"Two…"

_Cows in Africa! …wait…cows in Africa? Hold on a second…_

Only now did I realize that, at even increments around the cattle, were wooden stumps. A closer glance confirmed the barbed wire attached between the wooden stumps. My breath froze and my heart plummeted into the icy depths of my stomach.

It was a fence. This was a cattle herd for a human village.

"One..."

"Leona, no! Wait!"

Too late. She had already sprung into a pounce and landed dead on her target. The cow thrashed violent, crying out in protest and pain. The noise set off the rest of the herd, which tore off in a violent stampede into the fog. Viciously clawing at the screaming cow, Leona made quick work of it as she went for its throat and barbarically tore it out. Blood gushed from the gaping wound as the cow's screams grew briefly louder and higher, before it grasped for a few last breaths and finally fell silent.

"Leona!" I yelled as I sprinted towards her, "Do you know what you've done?!"

"Yeah!" She said smugly through a bloody smile, "I just got us breakfast single-pawed while you sat there like a…"

Distant yells were coming from the fog where the herd had disappeared. My heart was beating a bruise against my ribs, and my breath grew shallow.

_Please…please, don't let them have…_

**CRACK!**

"RUN!" I yelled, pushing Leona back the way we came.

She understood immediately as yet another **CRACK** from a gunshot ricocheted across the land. More villagers were yelling now and their dark forms started appearing out of the fog, holding long rifles in their hands.

We turned and started to run back the way we came as fast as our legs could carry us, hearts pounding away in our throats. As the voices and gunshots behind us grew fainter, my heart eased up a bit. For one brief moment, I was sure we had lost them.

Isn't it just wonderful when life rears it's ugly head?

Straight ahead of us, in the fog, another gunshot sounded, and this one was dangerously close.

"Turn around!" I yelled as another villager bloomed out of the fog. Digging my claws into the earth, I slid for a moment before springing back the opposite direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leona do the same. Over my pounding heart, I heard her call out to me.

"But…now we're heading right back towards…"

**CRACK!**

Aiheu _must_ have been watching over me, because I felt the air move swiftly and heard the quick _**PHWOO! **_of the bullet as it flew mere inches past my face. The gasp that followed was well deserved as my heart had stopped for one brief second. When the beats started again, they were even faster than they had been before.

We needed a plan, and we needed one fast.

"Leona, stop!"

I skidded to a halt and saw her do the same several feet to my right. Whipping my head around, I looked wildly for something…anything that could help us. But the only thing in sight was just a gigantic sea of long-grass.

"We're trapped…" I whispered as the voices in the fog grew closer. "Duck down…I've got an idea. Stay as quiet as possible."

She nodded. We lowered ourselves down as far as our bodies could go, low beneath the grass. Leona was easily hidden, however I was another case. My white fur was a dead giveaway to anybody who saw me moving. But what else was I to do?

As slowly and quietly as I could make myself, I moved forward, inch by inch. Leona moved in synchronization with me. Suddenly, several pairs of footsteps shuffled several feet ahead. I stopped moving, and held out a paw for Leona to do the same. As the two figures appeared from the fog, the two of us held our breath.

The dark-skinned men were looking around cautiously, staring for any sign of movement. Each one held a long double barrel shotgun. My heart was beating violently in my chest. If either of us moved at all, I was sure the men would see us.

They moved slowly together, closer and closer. Within seconds, they would be right on top of us. My eyes met with Leona's, and as they connected with each other, we both knew what needed to be done for us to escape. Once again, quiet as a mouse, I prepared myself on my haunches, ready for the pounce.

My eyes laid on the man to the right. My aim wasn't to kill, but merely stun. If I stuck my target, then there would be no need to kill. I could only hope Leona's aim was the same.

The men were within reach. Our eyes met once more, and I nodded. Silently, the two of us sprang forward, each towards one of the two men. I kept my claws sheathed as I connected with my target; the man's chest. He fell with my weight, and we collided with the ground. He let out a surprised yell before his head connected with the ground and he fell unconscious. I glanced over at Leona and was glad to see that she had only knocked out her target as well.

"Come on." I said quickly. "The other villagers will have heard their yells."

Leona nodded. Together, we sprinted back towards where we had slept the night before. After a few minutes, my legs were growing tired, but I refused to slow down. Not when there were angry, armed villagers chasing us. Within minutes, we were back at our sleeping spot, and simultaneously, we both turned and started sprinting to the northeast once more.

After about ten more minutes of sprinting, I was sure we had lost the villagers. We slowed to a walk, panting fervently.

"What…was…all…that…about?" Leona said, breathing between each word.

I breathed deeply several times before answering her. The anger began to boil over within me, and it was growing more and more difficult to contain. "That was an angry mob of villagers. You killed one of their cows! Didn't you see the fence around them?"

"The what?" Leona said, narrowing her eyebrows at my raised tone. "What are you talking about? All I saw was a herd of food."

"Leona!" I said defiantly, "Villagers don't take kindly to wild animals killing their animals! Didn't you hear those cracks? Do you know what those are?"

Her breathing was quickening, and her claws were anxiously pulling at the earth below her. "You'd better watch your tone. After all, you were chomping at the bit for it too." She said with a growl. Clearly, she was trying to intimidate me. That wasn't gonna happen.

"Yes, I was until I actually observed my surroundings, like a good hunter is _supposed_ to do!" I said. "This is bigger than just losing a meal Leona. You could have killed us! You _need_ to be more careful! If I hadn't come by to find you, what do you think would have happened?"

She froze. The expression didn't change, but it was clear that I had touched a nerve. Now, the question was whether I should push forward and make the point 100% clear, or to let her simmer.

Why wait? No better time than the present, I suppose.

"Those villagers would have discovered you with their dead cow, and would have shot and killed you on the spot. To them, we are nothing more than meddlesome wild animals; wild animals that should be killed if we come too close, or touch something of theirs."

Her face fell. The anger was gone now, replaced with a confused mixture of sadness and shame.

"I…I didn't mean for…I was just…"

Her voice grew weak and cracked as she tried to find the words to explain her actions. As her eyes began to gloss over, my heart sank once more. Once again, I'd let my emotions get the better of me and taken them out on the one I cared about.

"Leona. We all make mistakes." I said understandingly, trying my hardest to stop her depression. "I've made a ton in my lifetime, one that actually ended my life once. I was really lucky that time though. I doubt it would happen again. You just need to be more careful. People don't understand us, and they'll do anything to make sure they don't need to deal with us."

Her face to the ground, she nodded. I stepped forward and nuzzled her face.

"Come on now, there's no need to be upset. We'll find more food later. And besides, just think. This time tomorrow, we'll be almost to the reservation…to your Claire."

She gulped in a few gasps of air and sniffed. She looked up at me, eyes still partially glossy, but with a smile.

"I'm sorry. You're right. We're almost there, and we can't let the little things get us down now, can we?"

"Nope." I replied with a gentle smile. "I think we should keep moving though. We don't want those villagers catching up to us again."

Leona nodded with a smile of her own, and together we continued towards the northeast, not knowing that we would reach our destination far sooner than we thought we would.

**

* * *

--Astra de Leo--**

High above, in the constellation of Astra de Leo, Mufasa and Sarabi lay contentedly on a cloud, watching Ayden and Leona continue forward on their journey. Mufasa smiled brightly, and looked up at his beloved.

"He's so near fulfilling his destiny. Not once has he strayed from the path expected of him. He never ceases to make me proud."

"They both do." Sarabi replied serenely, staring down miles behind Ayden and Leona to the Pride Lands, where Simba sat perched on the promontory of Pride Rock. "He asks every day for them to stay safe on their way. He always prays for our guidance."

Mufasa nuzzled Sarabi softly. "Indeed, and we provide it as often as possible."

He looked back down at Ayden and took note of how close they were to Koko Milele Sanctuary.

"And it looks like our time to act is nearly upon us. We shall assist Ayden directly one last time. Taka!"

In a flash, Taka appeared next to Mufasa, smiling graciously at his brother, his black mane wafting lazily in the Heavenly breeze.

"Yes Mufasa?"

"It is time." Mufasa responded. "Will you go and fetch our guest from the hall outside? He needn't wait any longer for his moment."

"Of course." Taka said with a bow. "Should I take him to Aiheu?"

Mufasa chuckled lightly. "That won't be necessary. He's been waiting a long time for this moment. He already knows exactly what he needs to do."

Taka bowed with a smile before walking away quickly towards the large marble doors that connected Astra de Leo to the rest of Heaven. Upon reaching them, he took a deep breath and let out a quick roar. The massive doors slowly opened wide, allowing an intense white light to burst through the opening. As the intensely holy light blazed through into the heavenly atmosphere, a tall, old man in pale green robes was revealed standing silhouetted in the light streaming through before the luminous burn tapered off into the normally serene glow of Astra De Leo.

**

* * *

--Ayden--**

As night fell, the stars twinkled to life above us. Leona and I walked close, side by side, just staring up as we continued forward. As the sky became brighter and brighter, I was reminded of a song I knew long ago. Quietly, but loud enough for Leona to hear. I sang chorus as it all came swiftly back to my memory.

_I guess I must be wishin' on someone else's star…_

_Seems like someone else keeps gettin' what I'm wishin' for…_

_Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are?_

_I guess I must be wishin' on someone else's star…_

"That sounds pretty." Leona said softly, looking into my eyes.

"I always liked the song." I said with a smile back. Those sparkling emeralds held their mystifying gaze on me once more, and again the feeling of serenity was ever so present. And now, I was lost in her eyes once again. Only this time, I wasn't alone. We explored each other through those small, but ever so telling windows into each other's soul. Warmth and calm spread through me as our faces moved closer to the others'.

_Just a little closer…_

Her eyes closed peacefully as our noses touched. She smiled as her mouth parted ever so slightly.

_Here it comes!_

Her ear twitched to the right, as did mine. Quick as a flash, we both fell to our bellies in the grass as an odd crunching noise, accompanied with a strange whirring and churning grew louder and louder in the distance. Somebody was coming this way. Instantly, my mind fell on the angry mob of villagers we had escaped earlier that day.

_WONDERFUL timing, mysterious visitor. _I thought with an eye-roll. I sighed into the dust below. Lifting my head, I stared around, looking for our strange guest. It didn't' take long before I saw the two bright circular orbs dancing their way in the distance towards us.

Memories washed over me, and the image of a rusty and beat-up old jeep crossing the rugged terrain of the savannah played predominantly in my psyche.

That was a car coming towards us.

"Don't move a muscle…"I whispered quietly.

"Don't need to tell me twice." She replied in a hushed tone.

The jeep stopped about a hundred yards in front of us. Three silhouettes moved about the cabin of the car. After a moment of shuffling, a slender figure stepped from the backseat of the jeep and shut the door, before crossing up to the driver's side window.

"That's it?" Came a heavy African voice from inside the car.

"What else am I supposed to do? Blow up firecrackers?" Came a sarcastic reply from the female standing outside. Leona's ears perked up. The woman was speaking again.

"The only other thing I would like you guys to do is keep your cells handy. As soon as I call, let me know when you can get me back, and if you can't you know who to tell and who not to. For future reference, I'd really prefer it to be Faraji or if not him, then Carika. Again, you know who _**not**_ to tell. Any other questions?"

There was no reply.

"Good. See you later then guys?"

"Later!" Two voices in the jeep said in unison. The back wheels spun out, and the jeep took off at a reckless speed as the two men inside careened off into the night.

"Claire…" Leona whispered. Without any warning, she stood up and started walking towards the woman, who now sat on a nearby rock, her arms around her knees, apparently deep in thought. I stood up and walked with Leona, towards the woman who I had no doubt in my mind of her identity.

This was Claire.


	11. Depression

**Lol this is relatively soon, compared to my last few updates...usually I wait about 2 months...hmm, something's different here. Maybe it's that I'm almost out of school and on the verge of a LONG summer vacation (i.e. more chapters from me!) However...that's not relevant to this chapter. Cathy wrote this one. :D Enjoy it guys!**

**And PLEASE review guys...I've had less than 10 reviews for the last 2 chapters. I'm getting a little discouraged here...**

**

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Chapter 11 - Depression**

**-Claire-**

_Emerald green, forest green, and even more shades of green, everywhere she laid her eyes. This comforted her deeply, putting her more at peace than she'd felt in a long time. To stay here forever, and forget everything that battered her soul, and flagellated her heart in the physical world would be quite literally, a dream come true. A sweet, airy feeling rose up in her chest, making her feel as light and carefree as a bluebird. She smiled serenely as her body responded, floating up into the air, leaving the verdant forest behind for the beauty of a cloudless day. But strangely, she felt herself going even higher than the turquoise blue, watching with detached interest as she seemed to go past it, and not for the expected fathomless void of black that was space, but towards more light-golden, majestic, unending light that left no shadow in sight. In spite of herself, she gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to be blinded permanently at the unforgiving shocks of white light. _

"_Claire…"_

_She opened them then squeezed them shut, caught off guard. "Here I am," she called back uncertainly. For the first time, she felt a tremor of the anxiety and woe that plagued her in her waking moments. For that voice, so dear and cherished in her heart, could not possibly be who she hoped with all her being to be._

"_Claire, come to me."_

"_Who are you?" she called out vainly._

"_You know doll, you know. Please, come to me."_

"_How can I? I can't even see."_

"_Trust me and open your eyes, my little one. No harm can come to you here."_

_Taking deep shallow breaths, she nodded. The quality of the dream had taken a new tone, one that, while not quite sinister or dark, still left her feeling distinctly uncomfortable and exposed, as though her soul would be bared before a crowd of heavenly beings, a vulnerability she could not stand no matter what state of consciousness she was in._

"_Okay…" _

_And it was as though she never had trouble seeing. Though it was just as uncompromisingly bright as before, she now saw everything as though there were equal quantities of light and dark. Though the proportion was still more biased and unbalanced toward the light she could comfortably peer into the distance without squinting painfully._

_And there, right in front of her all along, was the owner of the voice, a sight that made her heart swell with joyful, but incredibly painful longing. At the very sight of him, she wept. Unable to help herself the tears came in a torrential flood that both overwhelmed and relieved her. How could such a sweet reunion really be done justice with mere words? There seemed no way and she really had no desire for anything but the sight of him. Dressed in pale green robes that reminded her of crème de menth, he did not appear to her as she remembered. Oh he was recognizable for who he was, but now he seemed to be more than he had been before. No longer fragile or weakened, or little more than a walking skeleton, as his human body had been, his new face and body was healthy and full, with an unearthly glow that seemed to radiate an aura of unimaginable strength of body and mind. Claire stood staring as the tears trailed down her face for what seemed to her ages before her mind finally caught up with her heart. She was in his arms before she could blink._

"_It _is_ you, Grandpa," she wept. "Oh Grandpa, I can't even describe… how…how…"_

"_There, there, my little Tiger-Lilly," he murmured in his deep bass voice, so uniquely different from any other voice she had known, as he held her, rocked her back and forth, a familiar soothing motion that put her back in time when he would do this every day on the porch swing. "Dry your eyes, I'm here."_

_She sighed fitfully, before relaxing dreamily as the serenity she thought had been lost forever washed over her soul in deep, soothing waves. There could be no doubt, no mistake that she was truly home._

"_Grandpa? Am I here to stay?"_

_He looked at her with such sorrow and regret that instantly she clung tighter to him._

"_Please let me stay Grandpa!" she wept. "I don't want to wake up. I want to start eternity now, with you."_

"_I know you do," he soothed. "I know you do. We both would love this reunion to be forever. But there is still so much to do on earth sugarplum."_

"_No Grandpa," she answered. "I don't have anything left. There's nothing on earth I want or need anymore. My life is finished. Please make it to where I can stay here in heaven with you."_

"_Claire Elise, you know very well I can't," he chided gently. "That power doesn't belong to me, but to the Almighty himself. Besides you still have a purpose on earth and you don't just have to face it, you _will_ be facing it, and very soon."_

_Had she been more alert and healthier where her mind was concerned, she would have immediately recognized the tone of voice her Grandpa was conveying, his "very-important-don't-want-to-miss-it" voice. As such, she felt about as alert and healthy as a zombie. _

"_I don't see how, Grandpa," she answered despondently. "I did have a purpose once. It was so clear to me the night I found her. And as long as I had her, nothing was impossible or wrong. It was always hard, but I never doubted what I was here for when she was alive."_

"_But she can't have survived in the wild…she was never prepared for it. Now that she's gone… where's the purpose? Where's the meaning?"_

_He stroked her hair as he thought about it, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips as he had used to do when he was alive. _

"_It's a difficult question to answer baby-doll. I can't answer it very well, but suffice it to say-you're only seventeen. You can't stop living just because something awful has punched a hole in your heart. Do you know I wanted to die when your Grandma Genevieve was taken from me? The worst pain I've ever known can never begin to describe it; I could have happily driven a stake through my heart if it would've meant seeing her again. But I had your mother, aunt and you to think about. I couldn't just leave my girls._

"_It's the same for you, Tiger-Lily. Only you have so much more to give than this old coot. You have a destiny bigger than the state of Alaska ahead of you and you're going to need the courage of a warrior when it comes time to face it."_

"_No, Grandpa." She turned away from him, stubbornly clinging to her notions and feelings. "I don't want to have anything more to do with destiny or fate. Those games are long over and I'll have nothing more to do with any of it."_

"_Claire…," he sounded hurt. "Claire, you're grieving me. Can't you see how important this is? How there is a plan for all of us, the same theme repeating thread throughout the universe? Everything you've ever known is so insignificant when compared with what you need to be able to do now."_

_When she remained silent, he pressed further. "Sweetheart, do you remember Evangeline?"_

"_Yes Grandpa, the evening star."_

"_When we wished on her, what else were we supposed to do?"_

_She turned back to him wearily. "I can't do it anymore Grandpa." She looked upon him, her expression crestfallen. "Apart from praying to God and doing my best to trust Him with my fate and Leona's, I did wish on her quite a few times. I gave it one last shot after-" she sucked in a deep breath. "After we let her go. Wishing on a star is for babies, and crazy people. And it's pathetic for a grown person to think otherwise. Because it _doesn't_ work."_

_His face was gentle and understanding as he took her in his arms again, a continual balm for her soul, a comfort she had needed for far too long. "Tiger-Lilly honey, I see where you're coming from, I really do. And I know what you believe. But how can you possibly know? Are you sure you aren't just missing her?"_

"_Grandpa, what are you talking about?"_

"_I'm talking about a matter of faith, honey. Am I a crazy old loon for believing in Evangeline?" He grinned deviously, as he used to on earth. "Maybe. But does that make the possibility of her any less real?"_

_Claire knew he had her. "No Grandpa. I guess you're right," she admitted grudgingly. "But, what possibility? Since you're in heaven Grandpa, you would know if she was real, wouldn't you?"_

_He smiled indulgently. "That's right Tiger Lilly. You always have been sharp as a whip."_

"_So…she is." She gaped in wonderment. "Grandpa, I have to know; Did she grant my wish and protect my baby? I have to know!"_

"_I'm sorry honey, but we've covered all we need to cover in our time together. Before you go, you should know that I mean it when I say that you need to be living again. It grieves me and pains me when I see you wanting to die and not living life like you should."_

"_I can't help that, I love you…"_

"_I love you too Claire, but I want you happy and full of life. We'll meet again soon enough, but only after you've found a good man and given me some great-great-grandchildren and then they've given me great-great-great-grandchildren."_

"_No, Grandpa, please don't leave me again," she begged. _

"_It's time to wake up, doll. It's time to wake up…."_

* * *

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a loud and highly annoying buzzing could suddenly be heard and though she wasn't fully awake yet, Claire had the urge to not only rip the alarm out of its socket, but to also take a trusty hammer and beat it until it was nothing more than a pile of plastic smithereens. Instead, she sourly slammed her fist down on the off button.

Normally such a violent reaction wouldn't even have occurred to her. But at the moment, Claire was not right in the head. She hadn't been, not since that which was most precious to her had been so cruelly ripped away. Even now thinking about it threatened to send her into fresh sobs, to rend her heart a new one. But forcing the tears down, she mechanically pushed away the thoughts and moved through her morning routine as though nothing mattered. And in a way, it didn't. Her thoughts and feelings ceased to be as they were wiped away like a clean slate. She couldn't fool herself completely though. She was ever aware of the dull ache not only in her limbs but most apparently in her chest, where it weighed heavily in her, like a dark, despondent presence, threatening to come up anytime, and catch her unaware with fresh, unrelenting grief.

She couldn't remember what she'd been dreaming but it had been good. She wished all the time now that she could do nothing but sleep and have sweet dreams instead of getting up and facing a life that had no point except her misery and humiliation being exponentially increased every day.

As she did her daily chores, she had to wonder just how long it would take for the information of her whereabouts to get back to her family. Not that it mattered; she'd never be ready to go back, not now at least, while she knew nothing of her baby's fate, whether or not she was even alive.

Gasping she tried to choke back the tears even as she recalled the conversation as acutely as though it had just occurred…

* * *

"_No! Please no! Don't throw her out there, with no help! She isn't ready, not by a long-shot!"_

"_Oh Claire, you know what you're asking is impossible," the young Afrikaan woman intoned regretfully. She looked sorry, she truly did._

_All that mattered to Claire at that moment was that Leona not under_ any_ circumstances be thrown to the harsh outside world like so much garbage. Hadn't she fought similar circumstances before with all she had in the past and won? Hadn't she been able to protect her, bring her to the safety of the other side time and time again? Yes, by God in heaven, she had! And no one, not even the well-meaning South African native, whom she would admit was one of her few allies, would deter her from achieving the same goal once more._

_The terrible thing was, that it was not up to Carika, as she was about to point out._

"_What would you prefer Claire? That she stay here, and await the judgment of my uncle who wants this beast dead? It is no longer safe for her here. And no other reservation will have her because you know that was not the first time your lioness attacked Abasi and for that matter a fair number of our other helpers."_

"_She prefers to have _me_ feed her! Why is that so hard, for people around here to understand? I am her mother, I am the one who has cared for her since the moment she was born. It confuses her when I'm not the one there with her meal, it hurts her if I stay away from her enclosure for too long, whether someone is forcing me or not." Her eyes grew hard and unforgiving. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Mr. Bedwing personally wanted to make sure something like this happened. He's never liked Leona, and he always tried to make sure I got to see her as little as possible."_

"_That's a very presumptuous thing to say!" Carika snapped sharply. "If it weren't for Mr. Bedwing, you would not have this place for Leona, nor be able to stay here yourself."_

"_Just because he helped us that once does not excuse what he is trying to do now! You know just as well as I do Carika, that your uncle has made me pay good and full, plus interest in earning both my keep and Leona's. And that still doesn't stop him from taking every opportunity to keep me so busy I can't hardly breathe, let alone see my girl. He may have "little patience" for aggressive animals, but he knows full well that the only reason Leona gets aggressive at all is because either I'm not getting to see her or worse, the other employees take the opportunity to try and torment her. Abasi paid for a mistake he did not make, and it makes me sick that Mr. Bedwing insists on being so blind and bullheaded! __**And she's only attacked TWICE!**__"_

"_Keep your voice down!" Carika hissed frantically. "Do you, as you Americans say, 'have a death wish?'"_

_Claire gazed at her stonily. "Might as well; what else is there to live for if she goes?"_

_The Afrikaan woman stared at her in open shock and incredulity._

"_Dear child…what is possessing you to act in such a manner?" She looked at Claire as though she were an unstable basket case at a mental hospital. "This sort of dramatic behavior changes nothing. The only thing left for you to do is make the choice; Either Leona will meet the needle tomorrow as planned, or we will take her out as far as we dare into the African wilderness where she belongs anyway. All you need to do is say the word."_

* * *

Even though the choice had been obvious as far as the lesser of two evils, the forced separation had struck a crushing blow to her heart. She'd tried so hard to prepare herself for the inevitable, knowing that it was impossible to prepare for the possible death of the one she had come to love more than anything. She had hoped so dearly that she could start teaching Leona as soon as possible the lessons she would need to know as a wild lioness surviving on the African veldt. Why had she thought Bedwing would allow that? She knew better, had seen first hand what kind of man Bedwing was, she knew that for some reason, he had a personal hatred for the almost full-grown feline. Why would he pass up a chance to get rid of her? He wouldn't, obviously.

So why had her head reeled and why had shock immobilized her when they set out with an unconscious Leona to leave her in a place that wasn't completely barren? Why did she feel as though she had been tricked and used like some wind-up toy? It was as though all her hard work, from the moment Leona had entered the world had gone completely and utterly to waste.

It had taken everything she'd had and more to keep herself composed and stable as they had driven out to the wilderness and allowed her to say goodbye. Drawing on wells of strength she hadn't known she possessed, she forced herself to look into the guileless green eyes, those eyes so beautiful and expressive it made her heart constrict. She at least deserved that much. Her eyes had been confused and fearful, making it even harder to do what she was supposed to. And even as she apologized she had felt her psyche crack and tears started streaming down her face. Carika had been insistent that they leave almost immediately since the tranquilizer had not been a very strong one and would wear off in barely 5 minutes. But Claire would not go without at least one last embrace. One more touch from her beloved "child" that she was never allowed to see again. Hearing her cry out after slamming the door had been her undoing. In fact, the last time she had cried this hard was that horrible return home that now seemed so long ago, when she'd been sure she was trapped forever in the cargo area, condemned to a slow death suffocating and starving in her little pet carrier.

Crying openly now, she beat a fast retreat to her quarters caring little if she were caught. What could they possibly do to her now that they had effectively done the worst? So what if she were shirking her responsibilities? Let them choke on it, and rot in their own stew while they were at it!

Once she reached her room, she mustered up all her anger and impotent frustration and slammed the door with as much force and might as possible. Glad they had thought to give her a lock, she made good use of it.

Before she flopped down upon the bed, she strode casually over to her music collection. Knowing she was starting to feel homesick, she decided to indulge in this rare feeling and picked an album that was packed with potent childhood memories.

Unfortunately, as she allowed one song after another to wash over her as she retreated deep into herself and numbed her being to the world, she soon was jolted from that state as one song, different from all the rest, caught her off guard and reminded her of her most painful and current troubles in an entirely new way.

_Hold me, like the river Jordan_

_And I will then say to thee,_

_You are my friend_

_Carry me_

_Like you are my Brother_

_Love me like a Mother_

_Would you be there?_

Unbidden, but sweet and poignant memories visited her; that first, life-changing night when she had snuck out in a brief act of rebellion only to find so much more than she'd bargained for; a tiny baby lioness who'd almost became one unfortunate hyena's midnight snack. The memory stood out sharply and clearly: the tiny body, small, trembling and blood-soaked, but so warm and precious to her as that sweet little kittenish face had turned upward, mewling pitifully. The extra shirt she had packed that had ended up covering the infant and later saving her life….

_Tell me will you hold me  
When wrong, will you scold me  
When lost will you find me?_

_But they told me  
A man should be faithful  
And walk when not able  
And fight till the end  
But I'm only human_

How difficult and frightening that night had been! For even after she had escaped the enraged hyena pack that lost their brother to her, nearly lost Leona at the cost of defeating them, the night had seemed to be the darkest she had seen yet and she had clung to a very fine thread of sanity with barely more than a flashlight and a GPS that only worked intermittently. Though it was really the newborn cub who, without knowing it, had saved the then thirteen year old girl's life and mind. By concentrating and focusing on her, she had managed to stumble after awhile on the familiar Swahili village only a mile or two away and receive the desperately needed help. The brief friendships would help her later, but the troubles of that night were not quite over. For as soon as she had walked back into the temporary mobile home, she had been pulled into a nasty confrontation with her mother….

_Everyone's taking control of me  
Seems that the world's  
Got a role for me  
I'm so confused  
Will you show to me  
You'll be there for me  
And care enough to bear me_

Her mother; even in this deadened, apathetic state, Claire suddenly bristled as a flare of anger flashed through her. If her mother had succeeded in having her will enforced, who knew what would have happened to Leona? The possibilities ranged from her ending up in a second rate zoo with sub-standard care or ending up dead at the hands of a cruel and sadistic poacher who would take advantage of her helpless, inexperienced state.

At that thought, she broke, sobbing earnestly; for all she knew, that was **EXACTLY** what had happened! As she wailed, all the words to that profound song began to blend together until she could barely make out certain words here and there.

…_Hold me_

_Lay your head lowly  
Softly then boldly_

_Carry me there_

_I'm only human!_

…_Love me and feed me_

_kiss me and free me_

_I will feel blessed_

…_Carry me boldly_

_Lift me up slowly_

_I'm only human!_

**AND SHE WAS!**

She'd tried so hard to do everything-the song had it completely right; a true friend did their best to be more than a friend. They became family if given the chance. Leona had been hers from the beginning, no matter what anybody else said. She had loved her, fed her, kissed her, carried until she was too big. But that cruel mockery of freedom didn't count. Nobody around here cared that Leona had not been ready to be integrated into the wild yet, nobody cared that she'd had a plan to prepare her in the months before her fourth birthday, when all lions reached the age of maturity. They had just seen her as a problem and a nuisance, when to be fair, Leona's behavior really wasn't so terrible. She acted the way a lion in captivity would normally act-restless, energetic, fun-loving, and yes, instinctually aggressive. She was only aggressive if she sensed a threat, which she perceived when Claire was forced to break the routine and did not show up.

" Miss Claire, are you in there?" a voice called out. It was Juma, who strangely enough, ran the souvenir shop outside the reservation for passing tourists. They had gotten to be good friends, but she didn't dare open the door for him; at this point, almost everybody at the compound had at one point or another expressed some form of irritation or outright anger towards Leona and if given the chance, if they didn't haul her back out there to play Cinderella, they would talk to the boss behind her back and seal her fate. She would go back home, to a life that now seemed as foreign to her as Africa had the first moment she had set foot on its soil.

"Miss Claire!" came another voice entirely. Kondo it seemed had also come to stand outside her door. She groaned openly. "Miss Claire it is quite transparent you are hiding in there. Come out this instant or you shall suffer consequences I know you will not like!" He was way off. He thought menial chores or getting scolded was something she hated when really, the only "consequence" was having to suffer his presence. He was a loud, pompous, arrogant braggart who swaggered around in the heavy, ungainly gait of a man who thought he was legions above all those around him. He was so entirely unpleasant, treating everybody either like an enemy or as though they were his personal minions. He especially had it out for Claire because she refused to play his games or submit to a misogynist like him.

"Kondo, please think this through; speaking that way to her cannot produce the results you wish." This voice was very dear to her. Gentle and compassionate, Faraji was truly the kindest, most understanding soul she had ever met in her life other than her late grandpa. "She has never responded to such demands before. Kindness compels her much better than harsh orders-"

"It is not your place to correct me, mchawi. One way or another, she will come out, even if I have to break this door down and drag her out myself!"

Claire stiffened. _Never_ would she tolerate that.

"Now see here Kondo, that is not allowed! You shall not treat her as though she were your daughter, especially since she as well as any other woman here receives protection from men like you!" snapped Juma.

"_**QUIET!"**_ Kondo practically roared.

Claire had heard enough. Slipping silently from her bed, she stealthily padded over to her radio, where she gradually turned the volume up until the sounds filled the whole room to the bursting point.

Focusing on the window, she grunted and pushed as hard as she could until finally the window was open enough for her to unlatch the screen and soundlessly slip out. And then turning, she quickly closed it again.

But now what to do? She knew she couldn't stay here at this moment; while she couldn't exactly run away, staying inside the compound boundaries was out of the question. She needed to get out.

Doing as much as she possibly could to avoid being seen, she darted from one cover to the next. But suddenly she collided with a solid, warm body and couldn't help but let out a terrified scream.

"Whoa, easy!" cried Asani, holding his hands up in a gesture of surprise and placation. "Miss Claire, you seem extremely jumpy today."

"You _think?_" she snapped harshly.

"Hey I'm sorry, I'm sorry! And I don't even know what I did yet!" he cried in bewilderment.

Realizing what she'd done, immediately felt bad for how she'd responded. Asani was one of the only other teenagers who worked here and while he thought he was too cool to listen to the adults and took to American teenage fashions like a fish to water, he treated Claire rather nicely and she found that she liked being his friend when he wasn't about to get her or both of them in trouble.

"No, I'm sorry Asani," she said quietly. "Nothing's your fault, I was just startled. I've just had a bad day and I've taken it out on you."

"Think nothing of it," he responded lightly. "I was just on my way to take care of 'important business.'" There was no mistaking that devious glint in his eye that practically heralded another chaos-inducing plan. What was he up to?

But as she thought of it, suddenly an idea popped into her head.

"Asani…remember all those times that I covered for you, helped you out of those jams you got yourself or me into?"

"Yes…" he responded uncertainly.

"Well now I need your help getting out of one. Yours and Erevu's if he's around."

"Just say the word," the only other teenager said from behind her. She jumped a little and scowled. If it wasn't Asani plowing headlong into a situation with no subtlety or prudence, it was Erevu somehow masterfully convincing her otherwise better judgment that it was somehow a good idea.

"Okay, I will. But not here. Somewhere hidden and private."

Once she closed the door and outlined her plan, both boys stared at her in utter amazement.

"My, my Miss Claire," Asani drawled. "I didn't know you had it in you to be so bold and reckless."

"You mean brother, for her to be so bold and disobedient," Erevu chimed in. "I never thought I'd see the day when you didn't play it safe."

"Well I never thought I'd see the day when my reason for playing it safe was taken from me," she muttered darkly. "So are you going to help me or not?"

"Help you? We'll gift wrap and give you this favor for Christmas!" Asani cried enthusiastically. Looking around, he remarked, "It's a good thing we decided to talk in the garage; got anything special you want to take for a spin?

* * *

Claire winced as the jeep took another sharp turn, or bounced hard because the boys had been going too fast to see that rock or that stick. The windows were tinted, but that didn't stop her from keeping her head down or worrying that she'd been seen anyway. As it was, she was hugely relieved when they finally were out ten miles away from the reservation. Now she could sit and just think for awhile.

"That's it?" Asani stared at her in disbelief. "Really?"

"What else am I supposed to do? Blow up firecrackers?" she retorted.

"The only other thing I would like you guys to do is keep your cells handy. As soon as I call, let me know when you can get me back, and if you can't you know who to tell and who not to. For future reference, I'd really prefer it to be Faraji or if not him, then Carika. Again, you know who _**not**_ to tell. Any other questions?"

They stared.

"Good. See you later then guys?"

"Later," they chorused.

As they drove away, she perched on top of her favorite rock and allowed her mind to once again numb and space off. It hurt too much to go back to her previous ones.

Which is why she thought her mind was playing tricks on her when she first saw something much closer than it should have been, that was absolutely extraordinary; a rare, white lion, and a lioness that looked so completely like…

"Leona?" she whispered.

**

* * *

Reviews please! I've been kinda skimped out on the last 2 chapters...Seriously guys, is ANYBODY still out there?**

**

* * *

*UPDATE!* 10/18/10**

**Hi guys…**

**So, as most of you will know, it's been about 4-5 months since I last updated. And the explanation for that is relatively simple. I've been INCREDIBLY busy with work and (since it started in August) school. An unfortunate side effect of not writing for this long is that I have lost inspiration for this story. Not that it matters since it took place several months after I last updated, but for the last month I've been dealing with a lot of insurance/legal issues. My car was totaled (while parked with me and my friends standing next to it) about a month ago, and the person who hit me (despite the accident being his fault) claims it was my fault. And though I have 5 witnesses that say otherwise, his insurance believes him over me and has denied my claim. Long story short, I'm getting a lawyer so this entire unfair legal mess can be taken care of. If that's an excuse, so be it. But I can't force myself to write. It wouldn't be the same quality that I expect from myself. **

**So for now, the story is on hiatus.**

**I have EVERY intention of finishing it, and I'm hoping I will have it finished within a year. I'm just dealing with a ton of crap from legal and insurance issues right now, so there's no way I'll have the focus to write for a while.**

**Also, for those of you who are interested…I've slowly been working on a Harry Potter/How To Train Your Dragon crossover in my head. I haven't written anything on it yet, but I've got an idea for the story. If anything, that might be the next thing I post. Inspiration is a funny thing, huh? But don't lose faith in this story. It WILL be finished. **

**Until then, my friends! Stay faithful!**

**SimbaFan**


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